85,000 Cambridgeshire households ‘paying for landline they don’t use’

Almost 85,000 households in Cambridgeshire are estimated to be paying for a landline they do not use.

More than a quarter of local billpayers (27 per cent) have not used their landline in the last month, according to a study by ultrafast broadband provider Trooli.

The number of landline connections in the UK is decreasing, particularly among younger households, but 35 per cent still pay for a connection.

Those who pay for a landline as part of a bundle with other services, like broadband, are less likely to use it, the study showed.

Trooli estimates UK billpayers are wasting £276million a year for additional services they do not use. Landline usage is more common in older people, with only 16 per cent of those aged 18-24 using one, but 54 per cent of those aged 65 and over are still paying for a connection.

Andy Conibere, CEO of Trooli, comments: “With rising energy bills and the upcoming festive season, we expect to see billpayers looking to make cuts on non-essential costs.”