Pensioner `Renewal charges

[#1]

Theuy want to charge me over 40 pouinds to renew Plusnet and  phone I am disabled and 90 years old need line phone and same e mail; Pay about 30 now  Quite  unrerasonable  my line is slow and poor Where should I go

Dont want to leave

[#2]

@stathe 

Are you registered with PlusNet as "vunerable"?

Price rise apart, you need to do something about your phone in the near future as PSTN is being withdrawn by Jan 2027 at the very latest. You have two options - stay with PN and transfer your phone number to a VOIP provider or transfer to an ISP who does both. PN will transfer you to EE but as you're at or near the end of your contract you can consider other ISP's who do both eg Zen Internet.

Note that VOIP does not work during power cuts.

As to your email - it depends on whether or not it's been migrated to Greenby. If it has then you can leave but keep the email address. If not you lose the address if you move.

Brian

[#3]

Moderator's note:
Thread moved from Broadband to My Account/Billing

[#4]

@bmc 

From memory, @stathe resides in a village where on the last check there is only very poor ADSL. Unless Full Fibre arrives in time there are more limited options, probably leading to a return to BT or an even more expensive option.. 

[#5]

H ow does this help as I need emails and phone as now

[#6]

@stathe 

The Public Service Telephone Network is being shut down by Jan 2027 at the very latest. Your current phone service will end - no ifs or buts. You must change product which will probably require you to change ISP if @Baldrick1 is correct about your internet connection.

As to email - it all depends on whether or not it's been migrated if or when you move. It it has, then no problem as the address will remain live. If it hasn't you lose the address.

Phone the PlusNet Customer Options Team on 0800 013 2632 and ask what your options are and when your email is expected to migrate. Mine was due to migrate yesterday but I've not heard anything yet.

Brian

[#7]

I am reg as vulnerable both of us

[#8]

So what will they do with me ?  is it just *&*&*&  jack we're going

[#9]

Hi Stathe,

Openreach are shutting down the PSTN as the exchange telephone equipment is at the end of its life and most people now use mobile phones. There are not enough users of land line phones to justify replacing the exchange equipment. 

The land line phone packages would cost a fortune.

Improved broadband appears to be still on the horizon for the village of Stathe, which in my opinion is due to Connecting Devon and Somerset's repeated bungling of rural broadband expansion.

Some options are:

1) Move the broadband and phone to a provider that offers land line phone over the internet connection. For example: EE, BT, ZEN and Vodafone etc. Sadly Plusnet do not offer this.
2) Stay with PN for the internet but use a mobile phone for Telephone calls (For example Asda mobile is £4 per month for unlimited calls & Texts without data - they use the Vodafone mobile network).

3) Move the supply of internet to Starlink for better speeds (now £35 per month) and use a mobile phone for calls.

Regards

Richard

[#10]

@stathe 

As you are registered as vunerable PN (like other ISP's) have a duty of care to ensure you continue to receive a service. However, there is nothing they can do about PSTN being shutdown.

If @Baldrick1 is correct about you being on an ADSL line then PN do not offer the digital equivilant. BT are one of the few who do so a move to them is on the cards. Note, if you do move you should be able to get a battery back up power unit from them.

Phone the COTS team and ask - that is potentially your best source of options.

As to email as I've already stated it depends on if you've been migrated.

Your best option might just be to swallow the price increase for now until your email has migrated and then ask PN to transfer you to BT.

Brian

[#11]

@stathe 

You could have a look at BT to see what they offer.

https://www.bt.com/broadband

With them, you may also be eligible for their Social Tarriff

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

Brian

[#12]

A break down of the £40 might help clearer advice might be available.  Such an increase is not typical, there’s more to this than has been shared.  If there is no fibre available to you then you should be able to renew as is … for the time being.

Elsewhere the policy for folks in your situation has been raised asking for clarification of strategy.

Do not though understand how age is thought to have any bearing on package availability and expectations over price.  That said BT do have some social tariffs available on minimal service packages for those receiving some state benefits.

[#13]

@Townman 

The increase might have something to do with BT Wholesale prices. Price rises in April, July and October will increase the cost of a WLR line by 100%.

Brian

[#14]

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@stathe wrote:

H ow does this help as I need emails and phone as now

---

Do you know that PN are in the process of moving their email service to another company, Greenby?

You won't be able to keep a landline phone for much longer, whoever you are with. As explained here, all landline phones are due to be withdrawn during 2026. Plusnet will no longer be offering any kind of phone service - so, if you want to continue using a home phone and keep your old landline phone number you can either wait for PN to offer you a transfer to EE or make your own arrangements. As I understand things, landline phone charges are going to double during 2026...

Do you own, currently use, a mobile phone? Frankly, a mobile phone with Wi-Fi calling through your PN router seems to be the simplest option (it's what I do), although you would then lose your old landline phone number.

This needn't be very expensive: I recently purchased my first smartphone new from the Tesco Mobile shop costing £69 including  a £10 voucher to get started. You might though need to learn how to use a smartphone - which could be confusing if you don't have help. (Took me three weeks to find out how to reliably answer the phone, and I am technically minded. 🤣)

[#15]

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@pvmb wrote:
...if you want to continue using a home phone and keep your old landline phone number you can either wait for PN to offer you a transfer to EE or make your own arrangements.

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I don't believe EE will be an option - they don't offer SoADSL so won't be able to provide broadband (and hence not VoIP either). They might offer a 4G solution?
Alternatively, BT are one of the few ISPs that do offer SoADSL.

As mentioned previously email is a concern, so any move really has to wait for email migration.

Unfortunately there will be many more people in a similar situation (and not just with Plusnet).