BT to abolish charges for calls to 0870 & 0845 numbers

8 January 2009

Commenting on BT's decision to make calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers free, James Parker, mobile manager at moneysupermarket.com, said: "We applaud BT for taking the first steps to helping customers receive a fairer deal when calling these numbers. With every household service provider adopting 08 numbers, callers have for too long been forced to shoulder the cost for premium rates that only line the pockets of providers.

"Now BT has taken the first steps, we urge other providers to do the same and abolish these charges.

"Mobile customers face the same problem. Our recent research shows on average in the past 12 months, just under half the adult population (41 per cent) has called an 0800 number from their mobile phone - racking up a massive £88m in additional call charges. Worryingly, two thirds (69 per cent) of people who call 0800 numbers from their mobile have no idea how much they are actually charged for making the calls."