5 steps to cheaper phone calls

We're paying over the odds for landlines. Here are five easy ways to get cheaper phone calls and save money

Gone are the days when you had no choice but to have BT landline. Now there are plenty of other options, and plenty of ways to save money. Here are five easy ways you can do just that:

Switch your landline

According to Consumer Choices, we’re wasting over £350 million every year by failing to shop around for a more competitive deal on line rental and call charges. In fact, 53% of you haven’t switched in the last five years, and so you’ll probably find you’re paying more than you should.

Use a comparison website such as Home Phone Choices to find the cheapest deal. You may be able to save even more with a bundle that offers line rental, broadband and TV as a single package.

Compare the cost of calls

Think about how you use your landline. Do you tend to make calls at certain times of the day? Or make a lot of international calls? Make sure you choose a package which offers the most competitive deal based on your own usage.

Pay by direct debit and paperless billing

Paying your bill by direct debit and choosing online paperless billing can actually be a bit cheaper. For example, a BT landline currently costs £11.54 a month, but the cost rises to £14.29 if you don’t pay by direct debit and you have a paper bill.

Check the small print

You may be tied into a contract with your current landline, which means you could be hit with exit fees if you switch early. You’ll need to check out whether the savings you’ll make by switching will compensate for any charges you might incur.

Check when you can call off-peak

Finally, off-peak hours can be changed by the phone company at any time, so make sure you check exactly when cheaper or free calls are available. Try your best to avoid making calls outside these times.