What is the cheapest telecom provider - don't say BT !

[spikeycat]

Help - BT are robbing me blind!

For UK national calls - 18866.com - you have to register and pay monthly by DD. There is a 2p connection charge per call (UK geographic numbers only) and that's it. (Have to dial 18866 before the number each time).

For mobile and international calls - 1899.com . Same set up, connection charge is 3p.

Avoid ringing 0870 numbers - 7p-8p per minute, except at weekends when they're about 1.5p - use BT for them. Or check the number/company name out on say no to 0870 , there is often a geographic number you can ring with 18866 instead.

0845 numbers cost 3p-4p a minute midweek, avoid them too when poss.

Also keep BT's list of "specialised" numbers handy so you can see what the number will cost to ring if you're not sure - eg some of the 090 numbers are £1.50 a minute and some other innocent-looking numbers cost a lot too.

(I am quite anal about phone bills, can you tell? )

So keep the BT line then and then dial a number in front?

There's not much you can do about line rental (unless you move over to cable, and then you can't take advantage of the other options JanH mentions so easily or cheaply.

But don't use BT for calls whatever you do, they are indeed robbers as you say!

The one other alternative seems to be the Post Office's Home Phone scheme, you need a BT line but you pay line rental to them rather than BT. (On the other hand, it's the same amount as the BT line rental, woo hoo).

18866 are great, JanH are you finding they actually bill you monthly? I pay roughly quarterly, I think it's triggered by the balance reaching a certain amount, usually around the 5 quid mark.

Latest Money Saving Expert article on call costs.