one or two small questions

[#1]

need to just confirm: home phone isn't the same as VOIP is it, (it doesn't seem to be but just want to make sure). We are discussing changing, and just want to keep our own phone and number, and I know with VOIP emergency calls can't be made.
Also when is it better to change (from BT) if we do decide to - early in the new billing period, or nearer the end of a billing period.

[#2]

1) home phone is home phone, VOIP is Broadband phone
Any time will do for the change, the phone and BB use are joined, the first bill is adjusted to get the same date.
BT finalize you account and give you a refund (rental is in advance)
You keep the same number on homephone.
Dont know about VOIP dont use it

[#3]

As pierre has said, Home Phone is a standard landline service.  If you move over from BT you will keep your phone number. 
Plusnet will arrange everything for you.  They'll inform BT that you're moving.  You'll get a letter from BT telling you that you've requested a move and saying that any services you have on the line (1571, Called Display etc.) will stop (if you want to keep these, you need to sign up with them at PN when you order Home Phone- if you do this there will be no downtime in your services - you can sign up for/remove calling features at any time though). You just ignore the letter if you want to move to PN.
On the day you move you will not notice any change in your phone service.  The day following your move you will get a confirmation e-mail from PN advising that the move has happened and you'll be able to access your Home Phone member centre.
There's no "best time" to move as, as pierre said, BT will refund you any overpaid line rental.
The whole process takes about ten days!

[#4]

many thanks to both of you for your replies, the info is just what I wanted.

[#5]

thought of something else now! I have  now asked PlusNet to change over my service from BT to PN.  What happens if "something goes wrong" and it is to do with wiring, the actual phone line or anything else that in the past a BT customer would call BT about.  I ask because obviously BT have an army of phone engineers, so how does PlusNet handle that sort of thing.

[#6]

Exactly the same as BT does. BT Retail - the phone supplier - doesn't have any line engineers as they were all moved to BT Openreach (I think that is the correct bit of BT) and PlusNet and BT Retail each report faults the same way to the same people.
The big advantage of PlusNet is that the broadband fault fault team talk to the phone fault team unlike BT.

[#7]

They handle it in exactly the same way BT Retail would handle it!!  
You call PN faults on 0114 296 5188 and they call BT Openreach who repair your line.
If you were with BT, you'd call BT Retail faults on 151 who'd then call BT Openreach to fix your line!

Edit: Oldjim beat me to it!!
Edit 2 : typos

[#8]

Thanks to you both.  Good weekend to all.

[#9]

So a move to PlusNet is just an accounting thing?
The actual provider of the service remains as BT?
All this privatisation has gone too far - the tax payer paid for the Post Office to install and maintain all this infrastructure in the first place.
I remember being shown round the local exchange because they were closing it down.
Apparently all those fascinating electromechanical selector switches were no longer cost effective 

[#10]

Laura - the fault service is excellent (or it was when I used it last). You just telephone PN, listen to the answer service and press the number for homephone faults - these calls are prioritised so you shouldn't have to wait in  the queue (useful if you are calling via mobile).
In my case they did the tests and texted me in the afternoon with the outcome. It was back on by the following morning.

[#11]

only just seen this, thanks for the input.

[#12]

I think I've just woken up from one of those funny dreams where I thought BT bought PlusNet.  I arranged to change my home phone to PlusNet, and PN e mailed that it would all take place today.  So as we paid BT by direct debit I thought I would phone them to ask who stopped the DD, BT or me.  After ploughing through numerous menus I got through to someone and explained about the transfer from BT to PN and made the mistake of mentioning that PlusNet was part of BT: now that may be a clumsy way of putting it, but surely as BT bought PN have I not got the gist of it however badly I worded it?  An extremely angry voice said "Can I just stop you there, PlusNet are NOT part of BT, they are nothing to do with BT".  The anger in the boy's voice had to be heard to be believed.  Apart from anything else, surely he is just a call centre worker and not the owner of BT so why get so angry? I'm now angry with me for letting someone speak to me that way.  Hey ho. He did in the end manage to say that BT would stop the direct debit, but of course now I'm worried that as he got so angry something is bound to go wrong.  Has anyone else been spoken to like that by someone in a call centre? And isn't PlusNet somehow connected to BT? I think I'll go back to bed and try and dream something nice.

[#13]

I've been talked to as if I was some species of slime mould by many call centre workers.
Not by Plusnet though.

[#14]

Time was when the Customer was always right - not so now, unfortunately.
With recession upon us and job losses likely to rise, staff should be far more understanding and polite in their dealings with customers

[#15]

axis - so it's not just me then!  I did wonder if, in the way some companies pay bonuses to workers who get more customers, BT deduct money from staff who deal with customers who are leaving? I can think of a good candidate.  I agree with coastergrotto, but quite often I guess it is the management style that is passed down to the frontline staff who think that is the correct way to behave. I've had to do my bit at the coalface and can honestly say I dealt with callers in a decent and pleasant way, as I prefer to be dealt with myself.