If you’re one of the more than two million people who only have a landline with BT then we’ve got some good news for you.
Ofcom has unveiled plans to give these customers a discount of at least £5 off their monthly bill.
The initiative is designed to target the UK’s most vulnerable customers, many of whom have remained with BT for many years and have neither the capability or the support to find a better deal.
In its research it found that of those two million customers, 43 per cent are aged over 75 and that 70 per cent of them have never switched their provider.
Sharon White, Ofcom Chief Executive, said in a statement: “Line rental has been going up, even as providers’ costs come down. This hurts people who rely on their landline the most, and are less likely to shop around for a better deal. We think that’s unacceptable.
At the moment customers who only take a landline from BT pay around £18.99 per month.
Meanwhile providers like Sky, Virgin are offering unlimited broadband deals with line rental included for the same amount.
Under the new plans however Ofcom will reduce the landline only charge from £18.99 to at least £13.99.
In a statement Ofcom said: “Almost 80% (2.3m) of the UK’s 2.9m landline-only customers are with BT.”
“Ofcom has found that BT’s market power has allowed it to increase prices without much risk of losing customers. Other providers have then followed BT’s pricing lead.”
The organisation will look to get views on a £5-7 reduction in monthly cost for landline prices with the hope being that once BTs prices go down so to will its competition’s.
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