I have been with BT for umpteen years and just excepted their price hikes thinking why change as the phone providers are all the same.
It is only through reading forums like DS that I realise BT may not be the best provider after all. I also just read that BT has a automatic 12 month rolling contract which they have never reminded me about ever and makes it hard to change provider. I have the phone only with BT and use their basic package ( weekend free) and use 1899 for weekday/evening. My recent bills have been £99 (God knows how they work that out) but after deductions were £37 and £47 which I think is still high considering I use 1899 all the time and my bill with them which is very easy to understand is only about £8 inc VAT.
I really want to change provider, phone only ( no broadband) but which provider and package is the best.
What price do other DS people pay for their phone a month.

The big problem with changing provider is that only BT is obliged to let you use 1899, etc.

There are providers that will charge you very slightly less for the basic line rental but the fact that you then have to use them for all your calls usually means you end up paying more.

And check out what you get for being on a 12 month contract. I do that but only because it gives me free evening calls (After 7pm).

I really don't think you can improve on a BT/1899 combo unless you are in some complex package that includes TV/Broadband and which obscured the actual price of the line. (Make sure you are on paperless billing and direct debit to get the cheapest monthly rate.)

Thanks for your reply, thats very encouraging.
I have just found out that I am not on a renewable 12 monthly contract after all and I see what you mean about the 1899 situation.

If you decide to stay with BT and you make any amount of calls in the evening it's well worth considering going on the 12 month contract to get the free evening calls.

True it does mean that you can't leave BT in a hurry but, in reality, there's very little reason why you'd need to.

Try the post office

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/p...diaId=19300217

They give free evening and weekend calls (inc mobiles at weekends only)

and they don't tie you into a contract.

That is it, I am leaving Bt again, going to First telecom, for what I want they are cheaper than BT, even if they was nto cheaper, I would still go as long as they was not over priced.

Goodbye Bt again.

about £15 per annum cheaper it seems

it is not just about price, their caller Id is cheaper for a start and at least I know I am being billed for it, not like Bt where one month they bill me, the next month they don't.

I worked it out that even adding the cost of Caller Id onto First telcom line rental, it is still cheaper than Bt line rental.

i will also now get free evening calls as well, which I did not get with Bt, unless I agreed to a rolling contract, yes I know this is a 12 month contract with first telecom, but it is not rolling, so once the first 12 months is over, i will be out of contract.

If your on the standard tarrif with Bt you get free evening & weekend calls after 7pm weekdays as long as you make one chargable call in a month or maybe every three months, we have the anytime plan for £4.95 a month & make sure we don't call mobiles [ we have our own to call other people on mobiles ]

First telecom start from 6pm to 6am,, which is far better than the silly change Bt did. Bt charged me for Caller Id and when they did it stung. First telecom is cheaper and at least I know I am getting charged, as I said, it cost me less for First telecom Line rental and Caller Id than paying just for Bt rental.

!2 month contract, not the stupid renewable contract that Bt love to chuck around, making it more difficult for people to leave if they wish, at least after 12 months I can leave with ease.

First Telecom seems a better deal than BT, Not sorry to say goodbye to Bt I can tell you, I should never have gone back with them in the first place, I not going to again if I can help it.

I was thinking about PO home phone.

Can I use 1899,18185 etc if I have their line ?

I am with Virgin and have been since 2000 (ntl days) and I am sick of the increases. I received a call from BT last week asking if I had considered coming back to them. I said "many times, Virgin suck!"

I explained that I had a couple of obstacles:

1 I live in a 3 storey house, my BT socket is on the bottom floor but I require a phone socket to be on the top floor and I have been quoted prices from BT in the past over £100 to set up the line on top floor.

2 I am hoping to move in the not too distant future. Its not 100% that I will move but I dont want to pay big money to transfer services to my next house (which might be a new build) So I need costs at a minimum.

He said he couldn't give a better price but offered to pass my details to a department who may be able to offer a better deal. I couldn't believe they called on the same day!!!

I was offered a new line for £30 (might have been £29.99 but still thats a good price. I am stuck as to take it or give it a bit more time and see if a move comes up? I have heard people on here say that BT charge quite a bit to transfer to a new build. But I have heard people say that Sky dont charge for transfers to a new build so maybe I should get Sky to put in a new line.

One thing I am sure of........I want to say goodbye to Virgin as soon as I can. Moving from Virgin will mean I lose the free box in my bedroom but hey! my phone bills will be alot cheaper.

You don't need BT to fit extensions. Any competent person can do it.

Second: DECT phones, HomePlugs and WiFi often negate the need for extensions.

Well yes they are easy to fit but I dont want to run a cable up 2 floors. I need it on the top floor so I can connect it to my Sky box and my PC is on the top floor also

I did an all-the-way-around-the-outside-of-the-house (black) cable run to get a socket behind the TV in the back room. An hour's work.