The website saynoto0870 has kicked one off asking the govt to insist that all UK companies with 0870/0845 numbers be required to provide a geographic number as well - petition here .
If you have a mobile phone with inclusive minutes, calls to 0870/0845 numbers are not only not included, they are charged at 40p a minute; so if you go through umpteen options, and then have to hang on for several minutes before you even speak to someone, and then your call is complicated and you have to be put on hold while they sort things out for you, it has probably cost you about £10.
Also, if you call from a landline on a weekday an 0870 call will cost 8p a min; but if you ring a geographic number and subscribe to eg 1899 or 18185, the entire call costs 5p even if you have to hang on for an ahour. It does wonders for your bloodd pressure