My Contract is higher than what I thought - I cannot stop shaking - what have I done?

[GillyFB]

My Bill in March 2024 was for £25.63.   I have an email contract summary dated 18 March 2024 at 15:11 and I was quite happy to receive it as this is what I agreed. 

Broadband Unlimited Unlimited Minutes Caller Display Call Protect Admin barring PRS Block Ring Back Switch Off Text to Speech	£10.00 £14.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00 £0.00
Total monthly charges	£24.00

My speed is so low as on old copper line.

I stupidly took no notice of bills since that date as my husband had an accident and we are in 80's and then we had Covid.  Plus - our dog had an emergency stay at the vets.  Everything was happening. 

BUT today I looked at my Bills and see I have been charged £46.82!!!   I am shaking in shock.

I have just searched through my old emails and see email dated 18th March 2024 at 15.15 states -

Unlimited Minutes Calling Plan Unlimited calls to any UK landline number or UK mobile, anytime.	£14.00
Broadband Package Download the MyBT App; find out how at bt.com/products/apps	£29.99
Total ongoing charges	£43.99

So - once I made the agreement - I never thought anymore about it.  What have I done!!!! My husband has told me not to worry but how do I deal with this please?  

He knows  I worry as we are pensioners and I feel it is my fault I thought my contract was renewed for an amount like we usually pay.

Note:  I have been on this low rate for years because of copper line and I have been with BT it seems forever since we came to this cottage in 1983!!!

[iniltous]

£10 is an unrealistic price for broadband , the social tariff for those on certain benefits is more than that ( it’s £15  ) , £30 is a ‘ballpark’ figure for broadband ( that’s what I pay for FTTC broadband F2 80Mb ) , if you are on pension credit you may qualify for a social tariff, otherwise what you pay for broadband and unlimited calls is what you should  expect to pay, it’s not excessive 

[GillyFB]

I can tell you just looking at a random Bill October 2022 my Broadband Package was £8.41 Unlimited mins - £13.22 and F & Family International £2.30 = Total £23.93.

My speed is estimated at 3-5 Mbps  and it has been BT's fair price they have offered me for what they can give me on the copper line.

If I had to pay what they are asking then I would have gone to the satellite provider that most of our village is on.

[garybs29]

---

@iniltouswrote:

£10 is an unrealistic price for broadband , the social tariff for those on certain benefits is more than that ( it’s £15  ) , £30 is a ‘ballpark’ figure for broadband ( that’s what I pay for FTTC broadband F2 80Mb ) , if you are on pension credit you may qualify for a social tariff, otherwise what you pay for broadband and unlimited calls is what you should  expect to pay, it’s not excessive 

---

Probably had line rental saver tbh as that would tally up

[GillyFB]

I used to pay Line Rental Saver so do you think line rental has been incorporated - my head is in a spin.  But I can't see it on copies of the emails above that I posted.

[iniltous]

@garybs29  has probably nailed it , if you paid around £220 upfront with LRS ( line rental saver ) you received 12 x £20 credits ( 1 per month ) so worth £240 ( £20 a year saving ) , LRS was discontinued a while ago , so although your bill has gone up £20 a month ( approximately ) you didn’t pay £220 upfront either ,

[GillyFB]

Thank you to all of you - so that could be the answer it is Line Rental.  If only that had been itemized it would have given me a clue and stopped the panic.  I will phone tomorrow and confirm that is how I should understand my Bill. 

[GillyFB]

Good morning - I have spoken to BT and it is my line rental! 😊

The lady was extremely helpful and suggested I think about -

1. A new hub, that goes into wall socket, but will give me up to 4g (sorry do not understand 'g' quantities)  It does not use the copper line it runs off something else.  She assured me having 2 feet thick wall will not make any difference to signal.  (I said I purchased 2 of BT 'plug in' to help signal across cottage - not sure if they work.)

2. I explained I need to keep my landline as my husband cannot use a mobile phone.  He needs the landline available to him.  So I need to keep my unlimited calling plan at £14 .00

3. I will keep unlimited calling plan and Friends & Family International.  He phones his sister in Canada. £2.83

Conclusion - it will cost me another £11 per month = £57.92

Do any of you know this system she is recommending - your thoughts again will be very much appreciated.

Thank you

So instead of £46.82 - I will pay £57.92.  She will call me back next week as I want time to think of any questions I need to ask.

[iniltous]

Sounds like Halo3+ , where you have a ‘mobile’ failsafe , so if your ‘landline’ broadband goes faulty  , the mobile base unit  kicks in and you can use your broadband over mobile until the landline is repaired , is it worth it is a question only you can answer , however maybe check you have a good mobile signal inside the property ( EE mobile ) before committing to it .

[GillyFB]

Thank you - it gets too complicated for me and that is why I have asked for a call back - to give me time to get my head around this.

I have a useless mobile signal in cottage and I explained this i.e. need to go upstairs or outside to get a signal.  (If I buy online and they send me a pass code by the time it comes through and I am upstairs waiting for signal more often than not it is timed out and I have to start again.) Hence I rely on landline most of the time and WhatsApp. 

I use GiffGaff which my family are on it and I know I can contact them at any time IF my landline goes down or I am out of our property.

All thoughts are really appreciated - thank you

P.S.  Just gone into unknown 'areas' - looked at EE for coverage in our post code and it states -