Openreach line rental price increase 2026: check your bill

The Openreach line rental price increase for 2026 is now complete. The last of three rises came on 1 October. It took the wholesale price of a basic copper phone line (WLR, the old analogue line) to double its 2025 level. Openreach announced the rises in November 2025 to push providers off the old network before it closes on 31 January 2027. If your business still pays for an analogue line, now is a good time to look at the bill.

What's changed in Openreach line rental

Wholesale line rental (WLR) is what phone companies pay Openreach for each copper line. It isn't what you pay: your provider sets its own retail price. Each rise is a percentage of the November 2025 price of £10.65 +VAT a month.

That emergency service is a temporary fallback with fewer features. It costs more, not less. ISPreview reported on 24 September 2026 that providers will pay £35 +VAT a month per basic line for it.

As of 24 September 2026, about 1.2 million lines still hadn't moved. Around 350,000 of them were at business premises. Openreach says there won't be a "big bang" on 1 February 2027. But the old lines get dearer and more limited from that date.

What it means for you

Your bill won't necessarily have doubled. Each provider decides how much of the rise to pass on, and when. Some customers have seen a surcharge, some a steady climb and some nothing yet. Contract terms matter too: many allow mid-contract price rises.

You're affected if you still have:

• an analogue phone line, even one that only rings occasionally;
• broadband on a copper line that comes with line rental (often called ADSL, or "fibre" broadband sold with a phone line);
• a line kept only for an alarm, lift phone, card machine or fax.

You're not affected if your phones already run over the internet (hosted VoIP) and your broadband is full fibre or a line with no phone rental (SOGEA).

Forgotten lines are the usual catch. A line that rang once a year still costs every month, and that cost is now rising.

What to do now

1. Find every line on your bills. Look for line rental charges, including any for alarms, lifts or the old fax number.
2. Compare this year's bills with last year's. If line rental has gone up, ask your provider what it will be from 1 February 2027.
3. Check your contract for price-rise terms and the end date, so you know what moving would cost.
4. Cancel lines you don't need. Check first that nothing is plugged into them.
5. Plan the move for the rest. Our PSTN switch-off guide covers alarms, power cuts and the checklist, and you can keep your business phone number when you switch.

How we can help

We'll go through your bills with you and find every line you're paying for. Then we'll move what's left onto digital lines before the old prices bite harder. Hosted VoIP is from £7 +VAT per user a month, plus £2.50 +VAT per number. Get in touch and we'll start with a free check of your lines.