The UK telephone system has developed and expanded massively over the last half century. There have been several attempts to bring some standardisation to the numbering and the latest part of that process is now seeing some results, with more to come shortly.
Landline and Mobile numbers
01, 02 numbers
All UK geographic area codes start with either 01 or 02.
These are standard calls. Whether called from a landline or from a mobile, most people pay for these through a monthly package with an inclusive allowance.
If you're calling from a landline, monthly packages with "anytime", "evening and weekend" or "weekend" calls are available, with calls of up to (usually) 60 minutes to places anywhere in the UK counting towards the allowance. An "anytime" deal is often only a few pounds per month more expensive than the other deals.
If you're calling from a mobile, there are inclusive add-ons or bolt-ons for pay as your go, as well as SIM-only contracts or contracts including a handset. The more you pay per month, the more minutes you get.
Outside of an inclusive allowance, calls to 01 and 02 numbers cost from 2p to 12p per minute from a landline and from 3p to 45p per minute from a mobile. The price varies depending on the provider used, not by the number called. If you are paying call charges in the upper end of that range, then your provider is ripping you off.
Most landline providers scrapped the difference in price between a "local" call and a "national" call as long ago as 2004. There is no longer a distinct "local rate". Calls are charged at "geographic rate" irrespective of distance. Mobile providers each also have only the one "geographic rate" charge, with no distinction for local calls.
The cost of calls made outside of the inclusive allowance is so high that from landlines, it only takes about 45 minutes per month of these calls (e.g. weekday calls made on a weekend plan) to make the "anytime" deal the cheapest.
Likewise from mobiles, you only need to be making a small amount (often as little as 15 minutes) of calls to landlines and mobiles over and above the inclusive allowance before the next deal up will work out cheaper.
Be aware that calls to landline and mobile numbers in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man usually do not count towards inclusive allowances. Most providers publish a list of the applicable prefixes.
Another way of calling 01 and 02 numbers from landlines during weekdays is to sign up for the most basic "weekend" callplan and then use an override provider such as 18185 for calls made during weekdays.
071-075, 077-079 numbers
All UK mobile numbers start with digits in the range 071-075 or 077-079. Isle of Man additionally uses 07624 among others.
Except for calls to CI and IoM, these are standard calls. When called from a mobile, most people pay for these through a monthly package with an inclusive allowance. When called from a landline, most people still pay a per-minute rate, but many networks now offer packages or add-ons with inclusive calls to mobile numbers from landlines.
Outside of an inclusive allowance calls to mobile numbers can cost anywhere from 6p to 32p per minute from a landline and from 3p to 45p per minute from a mobile. If you are paying call charges in the upper end of that range, then your provider is ripping you off.
Again, from a mobile phone, you only need to be making a small amount (often as little as 15 minutes) of calls to landlines and mobiles over and above the allowance before the next deal up will work out cheaper.
Be aware that calls to mobile numbers in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man usually do not count towards inclusive allowances. Most providers publish a list of the applicable prefixes.
Non-geographic numbers
Non-geographic numbers generally start 03, 08 or 09 and are divided into several types, based on the cost to the caller.
03 numbers
Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and mobiles in the same way. This Ofcom regulation has been in place since their introduction in 2007.
Numbers starting 03 are used for sales and enquiry lines, customer service lines and many other things. Most government departments and local authorities now use 03 numbers.
030 - reserved for public services, charities and healthcare orgnisations
033 - for any business or organisation
034 - reserved for migration from the matching 084 number
037 - reserved for migration from the matching 087 number.
The cheapest way to call these numbers is with an inclusive allowance. Outside of the allowance these cost from 2p to 12p per minute from landlines and from 3p to 45p per minute from mobiles, the price varying according to which landline or mobile provider you use to make the call. If you are paying call charges in the upper end of that range, then your provider is ripping you off.
080 numbers
These are "freephone" numbers. Calls to numbers starting 080 are free from landlines and from mobiles.
They are used for sales and enquiry lines and for customer service lines among other things.
A variety of charity helplines also use these numbers, especially those starting 0808 80. Calls to these numbers do not appear on telephone bills.
If your provider charges you for calls to 080 numbers, complain to Ofcom.
084, 087, 09 numbers
These are premium numbers with an Access Charge paid to the benefit of the caller's landline or mobile provider and a Service Charge paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider.
They are used for:
Various regulation and guidance over the last few years has seen a dramatic decline in the use of these numbers for inappropriate purposes (customer services, financial services, public services, etc).
Legacy Numbers
0500 numbers
Calls to 0500 numbers are free from landlines but not from mobiles. These calls can cost up to 40p per minute from mobile phones.
Ofcom is closing the 0500 range on 3 June 2017. Users have until then to move to the matching 0808 5 number or to some other number.
070 numbers
Numbers starting 070 are not mobile numbers. They are "personal" or "follow me" numbers. They can cost anything up to 80p per minute from landlines and up to £2 per minute from mobiles.
These numbers are classed as Controlled Premium Rate Services and regulated by PhonepayPlus. If you receive a missed call purporting to come from an 070 number, do not call it back.
055, 056, 076 numbers
The only other numbers not mentioned so far are those starting 055, 056 and 076. These numbers and those starting 070 will be reviewed by Ofcom in 2016. Given that 0500 numbers were deemed "non standard" and are being phased out, these are likely to also go the same way.
Summary of Call Charges
Regulation
Retailers, traders and passenger transport companies
Regulation 41 of the Consumer Contracts Regultions 2013 requires retilers, traders and passenger transport companies to use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers for post sales helplines. The rules came into force on 13 June 2014.
There has been widespread compliance, but with some notable cases of organisations who have ignored what they were required to do. Breaches of the regulations can be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizen's Advice national Consumer Helpline on 0345 404 0506.
Financial services
The introduction of regulation covering retailers gave the FCA the opportunity to introduce regulation for the financial sector in parallel, but they failed to act in time.
Despite hype seen several times in 2014, it took the FCA more than a year to do a copy and paste from the BIS regulations. The new regulations were eventually published on 23 July 2015 and come into effect on 26 October 2015.
In the meantime, most banks have already changed their 0845 lines over to 0345 numbers in order to avoid having to declare the Service Charge for their number from 1 July 2015.
Public services
Cabinet Office guidance published on 26 December 2013 suggests government departments, their agencies and other bodies across the wider public sector landscape use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers in place of 084 and 087 numbers.
There has been widespread compliance. Most 0845 lines have been changed to either 0300 or 0345 numbers. These include HMRC, DWP and the vast majority of local authorities (except mainly Essex County Council).
The NHS
A ban on the use of 087 and 09 numbers by NHS bodies and by GP practices was put in place in 2005 and extended to cover 084 numbers in April 2010.
Ten and five years later there are still some cases of non-compliance as those charged with enforcing the rules have failed to do so in a number of cases.
All users of 084, 087 and 09 numbers
New Ofcom regulation came into force on 1 July 2015 requiring all users of 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers to declare the Service Charge for their number everywhere that it is advertised.
Breaches of the regulations can be reported to ASA (for 084 numbers and for 087 numbers with a Service Charge or 7p per minute or less) or to PhonepyPlus (for 087 numbers with a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute and for 09 numbers).
Where usage of a number with a Service Charge cannot be justified, users must change their number to stop imposing this charge on callers. Ofcom made matching 034 and 037 numbers available for this purpose in 2007.
Controlled Premium Rate Services
A service is deemed to be a Controlled Premium Rate Service, and therefore subject to additional PhonepayPlus regulation, if any one or more of the following are true:
Access numbers starting with a 1
Access numbers from 100 to 119 have the same function and the same call cost on all landline and mobile networks:
Mobile shortcodes starting with a 5, 6, 7 or 8
Mobile shortcodes are a special type of non-geographic number that can be called only from a mobile phone. They generally have five to seven digits.
Mobile shortcodes are used by various automated and interactive services, including:
The service provider must state the call charge wherever their number is advertised. There are no clues given as to how the money is shared out between the caller's provider and the service provider and their telecoms provider.
Where calls are free, the caller's provider is compensated by the organisation being called.
Call cost declarations
Where service providers declare their call costs, these often take the following forms:
Ancillary Notes
Landline and Mobile numbers
01, 02 numbers
All UK geographic area codes start with either 01 or 02.
These are standard calls. Whether called from a landline or from a mobile, most people pay for these through a monthly package with an inclusive allowance.
If you're calling from a landline, monthly packages with "anytime", "evening and weekend" or "weekend" calls are available, with calls of up to (usually) 60 minutes to places anywhere in the UK counting towards the allowance. An "anytime" deal is often only a few pounds per month more expensive than the other deals.
If you're calling from a mobile, there are inclusive add-ons or bolt-ons for pay as your go, as well as SIM-only contracts or contracts including a handset. The more you pay per month, the more minutes you get.
Outside of an inclusive allowance, calls to 01 and 02 numbers cost from 2p to 12p per minute from a landline and from 3p to 45p per minute from a mobile. The price varies depending on the provider used, not by the number called. If you are paying call charges in the upper end of that range, then your provider is ripping you off.
Most landline providers scrapped the difference in price between a "local" call and a "national" call as long ago as 2004. There is no longer a distinct "local rate". Calls are charged at "geographic rate" irrespective of distance. Mobile providers each also have only the one "geographic rate" charge, with no distinction for local calls.
The cost of calls made outside of the inclusive allowance is so high that from landlines, it only takes about 45 minutes per month of these calls (e.g. weekday calls made on a weekend plan) to make the "anytime" deal the cheapest.
Likewise from mobiles, you only need to be making a small amount (often as little as 15 minutes) of calls to landlines and mobiles over and above the inclusive allowance before the next deal up will work out cheaper.
Be aware that calls to landline and mobile numbers in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man usually do not count towards inclusive allowances. Most providers publish a list of the applicable prefixes.
Another way of calling 01 and 02 numbers from landlines during weekdays is to sign up for the most basic "weekend" callplan and then use an override provider such as 18185 for calls made during weekdays.
071-075, 077-079 numbers
All UK mobile numbers start with digits in the range 071-075 or 077-079. Isle of Man additionally uses 07624 among others.
Except for calls to CI and IoM, these are standard calls. When called from a mobile, most people pay for these through a monthly package with an inclusive allowance. When called from a landline, most people still pay a per-minute rate, but many networks now offer packages or add-ons with inclusive calls to mobile numbers from landlines.
Outside of an inclusive allowance calls to mobile numbers can cost anywhere from 6p to 32p per minute from a landline and from 3p to 45p per minute from a mobile. If you are paying call charges in the upper end of that range, then your provider is ripping you off.
Again, from a mobile phone, you only need to be making a small amount (often as little as 15 minutes) of calls to landlines and mobiles over and above the allowance before the next deal up will work out cheaper.
Be aware that calls to mobile numbers in Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man usually do not count towards inclusive allowances. Most providers publish a list of the applicable prefixes.
Non-geographic numbers
Non-geographic numbers generally start 03, 08 or 09 and are divided into several types, based on the cost to the caller.
03 numbers
Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and mobiles in the same way. This Ofcom regulation has been in place since their introduction in 2007.
Numbers starting 03 are used for sales and enquiry lines, customer service lines and many other things. Most government departments and local authorities now use 03 numbers.
030 - reserved for public services, charities and healthcare orgnisations
033 - for any business or organisation
034 - reserved for migration from the matching 084 number
037 - reserved for migration from the matching 087 number.
The cheapest way to call these numbers is with an inclusive allowance. Outside of the allowance these cost from 2p to 12p per minute from landlines and from 3p to 45p per minute from mobiles, the price varying according to which landline or mobile provider you use to make the call. If you are paying call charges in the upper end of that range, then your provider is ripping you off.
080 numbers
These are "freephone" numbers. Calls to numbers starting 080 are free from landlines and from mobiles.
They are used for sales and enquiry lines and for customer service lines among other things.
A variety of charity helplines also use these numbers, especially those starting 0808 80. Calls to these numbers do not appear on telephone bills.
If your provider charges you for calls to 080 numbers, complain to Ofcom.
084, 087, 09 numbers
These are premium numbers with an Access Charge paid to the benefit of the caller's landline or mobile provider and a Service Charge paid to the benefit of the called party and their telecoms provider.
They are used for:
- recorded information lines such as travel information, weather forecasts, horoscopes and sports results
- chatlines
- voting or competitions by phone
- specialist helplines, such as technical support lines
- subscription-free conference calling
- charity donations.
- up to 12p per minute from landlines
- up to 45p per minute from mobiles.
- up to 7p per minute or per call for 084 numbers
- up to 13p per minute or per call for 087 numbers
- up to £6 per call and/or up to £3.60 per minute for 09 numbers.
Various regulation and guidance over the last few years has seen a dramatic decline in the use of these numbers for inappropriate purposes (customer services, financial services, public services, etc).
Legacy Numbers
0500 numbers
Calls to 0500 numbers are free from landlines but not from mobiles. These calls can cost up to 40p per minute from mobile phones.
Ofcom is closing the 0500 range on 3 June 2017. Users have until then to move to the matching 0808 5 number or to some other number.
070 numbers
Numbers starting 070 are not mobile numbers. They are "personal" or "follow me" numbers. They can cost anything up to 80p per minute from landlines and up to £2 per minute from mobiles.
These numbers are classed as Controlled Premium Rate Services and regulated by PhonepayPlus. If you receive a missed call purporting to come from an 070 number, do not call it back.
055, 056, 076 numbers
The only other numbers not mentioned so far are those starting 055, 056 and 076. These numbers and those starting 070 will be reviewed by Ofcom in 2016. Given that 0500 numbers were deemed "non standard" and are being phased out, these are likely to also go the same way.
Summary of Call Charges
- 01, 02, 03: inclusive in your allowance, else charged at "geographic rate"*
- 071-075, 077-079: inclusive in your allowance, else charged at "mobile rate"*
- 080: free call from landlines and (from 1 July 2015) mobiles
- 084, 087, 090, 091, 098: numbers with an Access Charge paid to the benefit of the caller's telephone provider and a Service Charge paid to the benefit of the called party and their telephone provider
- 055, 056, 070, 076: non-standard charges, subject to Ofcom review in 2016.
Regulation
Retailers, traders and passenger transport companies
Regulation 41 of the Consumer Contracts Regultions 2013 requires retilers, traders and passenger transport companies to use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers for post sales helplines. The rules came into force on 13 June 2014.
There has been widespread compliance, but with some notable cases of organisations who have ignored what they were required to do. Breaches of the regulations can be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizen's Advice national Consumer Helpline on 0345 404 0506.
Financial services
The introduction of regulation covering retailers gave the FCA the opportunity to introduce regulation for the financial sector in parallel, but they failed to act in time.
Despite hype seen several times in 2014, it took the FCA more than a year to do a copy and paste from the BIS regulations. The new regulations were eventually published on 23 July 2015 and come into effect on 26 October 2015.
In the meantime, most banks have already changed their 0845 lines over to 0345 numbers in order to avoid having to declare the Service Charge for their number from 1 July 2015.
Public services
Cabinet Office guidance published on 26 December 2013 suggests government departments, their agencies and other bodies across the wider public sector landscape use 01, 02, 03 or 080 numbers in place of 084 and 087 numbers.
There has been widespread compliance. Most 0845 lines have been changed to either 0300 or 0345 numbers. These include HMRC, DWP and the vast majority of local authorities (except mainly Essex County Council).
The NHS
A ban on the use of 087 and 09 numbers by NHS bodies and by GP practices was put in place in 2005 and extended to cover 084 numbers in April 2010.
Ten and five years later there are still some cases of non-compliance as those charged with enforcing the rules have failed to do so in a number of cases.
All users of 084, 087 and 09 numbers
New Ofcom regulation came into force on 1 July 2015 requiring all users of 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers to declare the Service Charge for their number everywhere that it is advertised.
Breaches of the regulations can be reported to ASA (for 084 numbers and for 087 numbers with a Service Charge or 7p per minute or less) or to PhonepyPlus (for 087 numbers with a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute and for 09 numbers).
Where usage of a number with a Service Charge cannot be justified, users must change their number to stop imposing this charge on callers. Ofcom made matching 034 and 037 numbers available for this purpose in 2007.
Controlled Premium Rate Services
A service is deemed to be a Controlled Premium Rate Service, and therefore subject to additional PhonepayPlus regulation, if any one or more of the following are true:
- is a chatline (irrespective of call cost or prefix used)
- is an adult entertainment service (irrespective of call cost or prefix used)
- is internet dialler software operated (irrespective of call cost or prefix used)
- the number starts 087 and has a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute or per call
- the number starts 090, 091 or 098 and has a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute or per call
- the number starts 118 and has a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute or per call
- it has an enhanced termination fee that is more than 10p per minute, including VAT (i.e. many of the mobile shortcodes and some of the numbers starting 055, 070 and 076).
Access numbers starting with a 1
Access numbers from 100 to 119 have the same function and the same call cost on all landline and mobile networks:
- 101: Police non-emergency number, 15p per call
- 105 (from April 2016): Power cut and blackouts emergency helpline, free call
- 111: NHS non-emergency number, free call
- 112: Emergency Services (also 999), free call
- 116XXX: Helplines of Social Importance, free call
- 118XXX: Directory Enquiries numbers with an Access Charge paid to the benefit of the caller's telephone provider and a Service Charge paid to the benefit of the directory enquiries service provider.
Mobile shortcodes starting with a 5, 6, 7 or 8
Mobile shortcodes are a special type of non-geographic number that can be called only from a mobile phone. They generally have five to seven digits.
Mobile shortcodes are used by various automated and interactive services, including:
- voting on a radio or TV show
- various competition lines
- responding to marketing
- charity donations
- adult entertainment services.
- a fixed fee per call
- a per minute rate
- calls which are free.
The service provider must state the call charge wherever their number is advertised. There are no clues given as to how the money is shared out between the caller's provider and the service provider and their telecoms provider.
Where calls are free, the caller's provider is compensated by the organisation being called.
Call cost declarations
Where service providers declare their call costs, these often take the following forms:
- 03: "Calls cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and on mobiles."
- 080: "Calls are free from landlines and from mobile phones."
- 084, 087, 09, 118: "Calls cost [Xp per call] [plus] [Xp per minute] plus your phone provider's Access Charge."*
- mobile shortcodes: "Calls [are free] [cost Xp per minute] [cost Xp per call] on all mobile networks."
Ancillary Notes
- A distinct 'local rate' (a lower rate charge for a local call) ceased to exist in 2004. Calls to 01 and 02 numbers from landlines and mobiles are either inclusive within a call package allowance else charged at 'geographic rate'.
- Non-geographic numbers beginning 084 and 087 must never be described as, or imply, 'local rate', 'lo-call', 'low call rate' or 'national rate'. All of these terms are misleading and therefore actionable by Advertising Standards.
A guide to the UK telephone numbering system and call charges
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