Despite predictions for years that the traditional home phone will become a thing of the past, virtually everyone still owns one, in addition to owning a mobile phone. The continued success of the ‘phone and broadband’ package plays an important role in this, as broadband becomes essential and many of us need a working phone line to access the Internet.
Although we all still have a home phone, it is often forgotten and seen simply as a must-have to receive our broadband service. However, in these tough times, it’s worth taking a little time to see what you’re paying for because a little effort can lower your phone bill and save you money every month.
Here are the top ten tips for reducing landline bills:
- Look at the monthly line rental fee your provider charges you. This is usually not included in the ads because for landline deals it can be by far the largest part of your bill. But with prices ranging from £ 6.79 a month (currently available from Primus) to over £ 14 a month from some providers, it can pay to look for a deal with a much lower line rental rate.
- In addition to the line rental, providers will charge a monthly package cost for the particular offer you purchase. The package can include free calls or voicemail, etc. Many providers now offer free packages, so be sure to shop around to see if you can lower this fixed monthly cost.
- Make sure you choose a package that has free calls the moment you want to make them. Call charges are an area of your bill that can vary from month to month, and it’s easy to generate a large bill without realizing it. If you make most of your calls at night, choose packages that offer free night calls. But once you’ve decided, be sure to keep making your calls during those times.
- Before you even touch your home phone, check to see if you still have free calls left on your monthly mobile allowance. The growth of free calls in mobile phone packages has been exponential in recent years and they are not usually restricted to certain times. Make sure you use this allowance first and lower your home phone bill.
- If the only reason you have a landline is to receive broadband, check to see if cable is available in your area. Cable networks do not require a working landline phone to deliver their broadband packages and the costs become quite reasonable if you also take one of their TV packages.
- Get rid of unnecessary extra features from your landline service. You may have signed up for 1471 or an answering service, but check your bill to make sure they don’t charge you more for them. If so, ask yourself if they are really vital; if not, discard them.
- Some clients need particular services, such as services for the disabled. Most landline providers now offer a wide range of additional services, some cheaper than others. If you need a special service, be sure to shop around because a discount on these can make a big difference to your bill.
- Do you make international calls? If so, check if the recipient is on the Internet and consider using a free service like Skype. If you must make the call from your landline, compare the call costs of the providers with the country you are calling; some will discount certain countries more than others.
- Eliminate costly domestic calls such as 0845 numbers. Sometimes these can be included in the “free calls” section of your package, but will usually cost you an arm and a leg. Try emailing them first and requesting a call, or at least asking them to call you back once you’re connected.
- If you have found a package that you are satisfied with, consider signing a longer contract. Most landline phone deals are for 12 months, but some providers will discount the bill if you sign up for 18 months.
