Mobile phone companies ordered to stop charging for 0800 numbers

Ofcom is shaking up the pricing system for calls to non-geographic numbers. But nothing will change until 2015.

All telephone calls to 0800 numbers should be free, even if they are made from mobiles phones, the telecoms regulator has said.

There is a lot of confusion over these and other ‘free’ telephone numbers and it’s often unclear how much a phone call will cost.

Ofcom says the costs for these phone numbers needs to be simplified and there should be a standard pricing structure for all customers.

Expensive phone lines

The main problem with phone lines such as those beginning with 08, 09 and 118 is that customers don’t know how much it will cost to use them.

Many companies, such as banks and utility companies, use these numbers and therefore leave customers with little choice but to call them and risk a large bill afterwards.

The only way to know how much a call will cost, or to avoid paying out altogether, is to use a BT landline.

The cost of 0800 numbers

Calling an 0800 number from a mobile phone provider such as Orange, T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone or Three will cost up to 40p per minute.

There are also no standard costs across providers for these numbers. Those to 0845 and 0870 numbers, for example, cost 40p with Orange, 14p with Vodafone and 35p with Three (on all plans apart from The One).

How the new system will work

Ofcom has suggested there will be a single 'access charge' introduced which consumers will pay to call these numbers. There will also be a seperate 'service charge' which will go to the company or organisation they’re calling.

Customers will be told what the access charge is and this will appear on all bills. Whenever a number is listed the company using it will need to list the price of the service charge.

But although these plans have been suggested, nothing will change for a while. Ofcom will publish a final statement at the end of the summer and phone companies will then be given 18 months to implement the changes.

How to call non-geographic numbers for free

If you don’t want to wait until 2015 for these changes to occur, there are some ways to get around these calls right now. The number one website is saynoto0870.com which lists alternative cheaper or free numbers to 0845 or 0870 numbers.

Looking through a company’s website to find a local phone number is also a good trick as this should be listed for people calling from overseas. Calling a free phone number, such as a company sales line, and asking to be redirected is another way to avoid a steep phone bill.

Avoiding calling altogether, instead using an email will be a better option for some people. It’s free and you will have a record of all your communications with a company, should you need to complain at a later date.

You can find out more in our article - How to call 0845 and 0870 numbers for free!

More from lovemoney:

Directory enquiries: the true cost of calling 118 numbers

Ofcom to tackle nuisance phone calls

EE announces 3.3% mid-contract price hike for Orange and T-Mobile customers

BT6500: new phone that automatically blocks unwanted calls

How to make cheap mobile phone calls home from abroad

The UK's worst mobile phone provider