Ofcom reveals price cap for 118 directory enquiry service calls after charges hit £20 for a 90-second call
Ofcom revealed plans today to cap the price of directory enquiry calls to protect consumers from high prices.
The regulator said some services charge almost £20 for a 90-second phone call, while the popular 118 118 service charges £11.23 for a call of that duration.
The telecoms watchdog will cap prices for 118 services at £3.65 every 90 seconds, bringing prices back to 2012 levels when the cap comes into force on 1 April 2019.
Jane Rumble, Ofcom’s director of consumer policy, said: “Directory enquiry prices have risen in recent years, and callers are paying much more than they expect. Our evidence shows this is hurting people, with some struggling to pay their bills.
“We’re taking action to protect callers by capping 118 prices. This will significantly cut the cost of many calls, and bring them back to 2012 levels.”
While usage of 118 numbers is falling by around 40 per cent each year, more than 1m people still use them in the UK, many of these consumers being elderly.
Around 450,000 people pay £2.4m more than they expect for these calls each year, with some of them struggling to pay their bills, according to the market regulator.
Those aged over 65 are four times more likely to call a directory enquiry service than those aged under 35, Ofcom found, and nearly two-thirds of callers don’t know how much their calls cost.
In November, prices for a 60-second call ranged from 75p to £16, Ofcom said.