New home has landline but dont know number

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Jasper2011
Jasper2011 Posts: 13 Forumite
in Broadband & internet access
Hi,

We are moving house in a couple of weeks. I need to arrange broadband at the new property but although there is a working landline there I dont know what the number is. Presumably the previous owner took the number with him when he left.

So I can use the website to check comparisons of different providers based on postcode, but all of the options request an upfront set-up fee of about £50-£100 for an engineer to connect a new phone line. This is unnecassary as there is already a line at the house but i'm not able to provide a working number to the broadband provider(s) during the application process.

Any ideas welcome.

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  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,116 Forumite
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    When you move in ring your mobile.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • Tammykitty
    Tammykitty Posts: 1,005 Forumite
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    If the line's working, plug in a phone and dial 17070 (not sure if it works for non BT though)
  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,305 Forumite
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    If the previous owner ceased their line or moves away it's classified as a new installation
    Ex forum ambassador

    Long term forum member
  • kazwookie
    kazwookie Posts: 13,853 Forumite
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    Get a plug in phone and handset, then ring your mobile from the plug in handset the number should come up.

    If it doesn't work then it has been disconnected
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  • techquest
    techquest Posts: 294 Forumite
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    Tammykitty wrote: »
    If the line's working, plug in a phone and dial 17070 (not sure if it works for non BT though)

    I know 17070 works on the likes of TalkTalk lines, so see no reason why it shouldn't on others. Could be the line has been disconnected at the CO though.
  • SueC_2
    SueC_2 Posts: 1,673 Forumite
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    I may have it wrong, but I thought that the £50-£100 charge was only if there is no physical line to the house. From what you are saying, in your case the line is there, there is just (possibly) no number assigned to it. I don't think there is a charge for assigning a new number to it.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,655 Forumite
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    edited 14 February 2019 at 3:25PM
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    @SueC
    From BT
    How much does it cost to install a new BT phone line or reconnect an old one?
    You probably won't need to pay any connection charges if:

    Your home has recently had a telephone service from BT,
    the wiring and socket is undamaged; and
    the line still has a dial tone
    You'll just have to pay for your chosen calling plan, the cost of any extra calls not included in the plan, and for any extra services you want.

    Where there's no suitable BT line available, no dial tone on the line, or if you've ever been disconnected for non-payment, then you might need to pay a connection charge. If you only have a calling plan with BT, the standard connection charge is normally £140.

    Some properties (for example, new property developments) may have a white BT socket installed which has not yet been connected. In this case you'll need to pay the standard connection charge.

    The fee covers engineering work in your property or the exchange.

    If you order online, then we'll let you know whether you need to pay a connection charge during your order.
    http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8311/~/how-much-does-it-cost-to-install-a-new-bt-phone-line-or-reconnect-an-old-one%3F

    So the charge isn't just in relation to physically putting in a new line to a property. Which can cost BT a lot more that the £140/160 quoted to do the work. The charge is just a contribution to the actual costs and is hopefully evened out over the course of time. But BT has a legal duty to install a line if they is none available and it is economically viable (so costs under £3000 is the general rule after which the user will be requested to make up the cost difference.)
  • SueC_2
    SueC_2 Posts: 1,673 Forumite
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    No idea, I can only speak from experience - I've moved home three times in the last two years, and never once been charged for having a number assigned to an existing line.


    The house move before that there was no existing line, so I was charged for installing one.

    Never been with BT though, so maybe other suppliers have been bearing the cost to get my business.
  • movingon
    movingon Posts: 533 Forumite
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    Are you purchasing, rather than renting? When we moved here, we just asked our solicitor to ask the vendors, (via their solicitor) what the telephone number was and to specify that they did not want to cease the line when they moved out. We then made the new broadband connection order and asked for a new number to be assigned. This did not incur any extra charges.
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