BT landline-only customers have bills cut by third

BT’S landline-only customers will save more than a third each year on their line-rental bill in a move that will benefit thousands of pensioners, Ofcom has announced.

Up to one million customers will see their monthly bills cut by £7 after the telecoms giant agreed “in full” to a proposal made by the UK’S communications regulator.

This adds up to an annual saving of £84 – a 37 per cent reduction from a typical yearly bill. Ofcom said it had conducted a review of the market due to concerns over line rental prices rising despite a fall in wholesale costs.

The move will benefit thousands of elderly callers without broadband, Ofcom said. Nearly two thirds of BT customers who only have a landline are over the age of 65.

A customer who currently pays £18.99 a month will pay £11.99 when the changes come into force in April 2018. This will return line rental prices to a similar level to those charged in 2010, Ofcom said. The majority of affected customers – around 800,000 – will see the reduction appear automatically on their bills.

A further 200,000 people on BT’S Home Phone Saver package will be able to choose whether they move to the standard tariff.

A BT spokesman said: “We have listened to the concerns of our line-only customers and agreed to reduce the price of line rental for them by £7 a month, or £84 a year, which means they will only pay £11.99 a month for standard line rental.”

Jonathan Oxley, Ofcom’s competition group director, said: “For many people, their landline is their lifeline.

“Many are elderly, and have been with BT for decades. We’ve been clear that they must get a better deal.

Alex Neill, Which? managing director of home products and services, said: “Ofcom should continue to do more to boost transparency and fairness in the telecoms markets, ensuring that all customers can access the right deal for them.”