This topic

BT Social Tariff

atherineca — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:35:13 GMT

When I was with BT on Social Tariff (I think I left about 2 years ago to go with cheaper Vodafone) I was paying £15 a month. I understand that this has risen to about £16/17 a month now.

I have just came off the phone with a BT colleague, after enquiring about the Social Tariff again and I was told I now have to take the TV package which I don't want.

So she offered me speeds of 30 something Mb and TV for £32 a month. Really for SOCIAL TARIFF!!!

I declined this as Vodafone are offering speeds of 70 something for £20 a month!

Re: BT Social Tariff

Kimberlin — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:43:16 GMT

@atherineca

BT aren’t going to bend to your will, you’ve seen a better deal so why not take it?

Re: BT Social Tariff

iniltous — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:53:12 GMT

There is no requirement to take EETV if you qualify for the BT Home Essentials social tariff, if the guide you spoke to said that , then they are wrong, but I doubt that’s what they said , I’d suggest some kind of misunderstanding has taken place

Re: BT Social Tariff

atherineca — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:52:28 GMT

@Kimberlin

I was really only enquiring about their Social Tariff is it really £32 a month, that's their lowest?

Re: BT Social Tariff

iniltous — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:56:00 GMT

No , it isn’t , £16 if no income, £21 or £24 depending on taking the lower speed profile or the F2 speed.

Re: BT Social Tariff

atherineca — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:56:10 GMT

@iniltous

That's exactly what she said. She also said a 24 month contract.

Whereas ..... I read Social Tariff was £16 a month for 12 months with no price increase within that time.

I kept on referring to is this being the Social Tariff and she said yes!

Re: BT Social Tariff

iniltous — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:59:06 GMT

If the BT guide said that then they were wrong , perhaps calling the product by the correct name Home Essentials may be helpful should you call back

Re: BT Social Tariff

Kimberlin — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:59:12 GMT

@atherineca

BT’s own webpage on the subject doesn’t seem entirely transparent on pricing:

https://www.bt.com/broadband/home-essentials

Re: BT Social Tariff

atherineca — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

How do I get Home Essentials?

You can switch over for no extra charge if you’re an existing BT, EE broadband customer who’s eligible for our Home Essentials package.

Call your provider number and we’ll handle the rest:

BT customers please call 0800 800 150
Monday - Friday 8am - 9pm Saturday - Sunday 8am - 8pm

That is the number I phoned

Re: BT Social Tariff

imjolly — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:05:50 GMT

social tariff

this is the current costs on home essentials

do you have a home phone as that will now need to be digital voice

Re: BT Social Tariff

Kimberlin — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:11:01 GMT

@imjolly

I’m clearly blind as a bat! 😂

I can’t see those prices anywhere on the link I provided, so where have you dug those up from so everyone can see them?

if I’m wrong on the transparency aspect then I’m wrong and I’ll take it with the slap it deserves, but why isn’t it on the page I linked to, or if it is, where is it?

Re: BT Social Tariff

iniltous — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:36:10 GMT

I’d think possibly the reason the social tariff prices , although available in the recesses of the price list , are not obviously on the website landing page for Home Essentials is that it’s a price available only to those that qualify and that qualification has to be established…..having to call and enquire seems no hardship but clearly the staff need to be knowledgeable , the OP suggests whoever they called wasn’t , but they used the term ‘a BT colleague’ ,which maybe suggest the OP is BT staff ?

Re: BT Social Tariff

Kimberlin — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:33:49 GMT

@iniltous

So not very transparent pricing then 🙄

Re: BT Social Tariff

atherineca — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:47:44 GMT

Well I mentioned a BT colleague as I phoned a BT number.

Re: BT Social Tariff

zulu17 — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:55:59 GMT

Hi @atherineca this OFCOM page last updated in October 2025

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs

gives the expected prices for social tariffs at that time for a range of operators.

You would not need to take a TV package.

Re: BT Social Tariff

shakey1981 — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:02:35 GMT

no this is not true

£22.00 month 80mb

https://www.bt.com/broadband/home-essentials

BT customers please call 0800 800 150

EE customers please call 0800 079 5122

Re: BT Social Tariff

Kimberlin — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:03:44 GMT

@atherineca

The bottom of the cup here is, you’ve enquired about whether you can access a social tariff but you’ve phoned BT and you can’t seem to get a confirmation of pricing based on whether you qualify or not. That’s poor.

It’s good to see that another forum member has linked to pricing, but how many customers would go looking for the info on the Ofcom website? Why isn’t it specifically linked to on the page I linked to earlier?

Other ISP’s appear to show the prices for social tariffs on their websites, so I’m sure BT could make the prices more readily accessible, but above all, when someone calls them, the call handlers should know precisely what they’re talking about.

Re: BT Social Tariff

shakey1981 — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:06:41 GMT

https://www.bt.com/broadband/home-essentials

look here

no tv package needed just prove that you claim one of theeses

Re: BT Social Tariff

zulu17 — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:35:33 GMT

There is the information at

https://www.bt.com/terms/home-essentials

however to get to this from the initial web page you have to go through three further stages of pages.

This is unfortunately another example whereby the BT web pages could and should provide the relevant information more prominently.

Re: BT Social Tariff

atherineca — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:52:45 GMT

@iniltous

I phoned BT back and this time did as you said

'perhaps calling the product by the correct name Home Essentials '

All fine this time, I will pay £16 a month on a 12 month contract (no TV included) With speeds of I believe 36Mb.

Vodafone messed me about as I was about to renew my contract with them. So I decided I would come back to BT.

Thank you all for your replies.