BT puts up prices for broadband, home phones and TV channels

[dutchman]

More than 10.5million BT customers are being hit with price hikes today – just three weeks before Christmas.



The company is increasing prices for broadband, home phone services and TV channels and axing its discount for paperless bills.

It is the latest in a series of price rises from BT, which made a profit of £1.7billion in the year to March.

The firm’s 3.5million Anytime Calls plan customers will see their bills rise by 20p to £4.90, and monthly line rental charges will rise from £13.90 to £14.60 – an increase of 5 per cent.

Daytime calls will go up to 7.95p a minute from 7.6p, while evening calls will rise from 1p to 1.05p. The set-up fee for any call will also increase, from 12.5p to 13.1p.

Broadband customers’ monthly bills will jump from anything between 80p and £1.20, depending on the package. Those with combined home phone and internet packages face hikes of between 70p and £1.40.

BT says the increases will be followed by a price freeze until 2013 for selected services.

Rival Sky put up monthly line rental by £1 in July, while TalkTalk increased it in October from £12.60 to £13.80. Virgin Media’s line rental rose from £12.99 to £13.90 in August.

Orange also announced it would be increasing prices for pay-monthly customers, today.

In a message to customers the company said there would be a rise of 4.34 per cent from February 1.

On it's website, Orange said: 'As you probably know, inflation is at a 20-year high, which is having a significant impact on businesses and households alike.'

It also said the increase was lower than the Retail price Index measure of inflation.

[dutchman]

Tip: you can get exactly the same services from BT subsidiary Plusnet for a fraction of the price!