"BT are by no means the only culprits but this sort of unnecessary charge has to be stopped," said John Leech MP. "Many constituents have contacted my office on this issue because they feel they will be unnecessarily penalised."
"British Telecom used to be a trusted and respected institution but this sort of blatant money-grabbing from vulnerable people does nothing for their reputation. Last year BT made more than £2 billion in profits and this charge could net them an extra £99 million.
"The Trading Standards Institute has already spoken out against the moves. Consumers need to be aware of these charges and that they do have the right to shop around and find the best deals."
John Leech has signed Early Day Motion 1230 condemning the new charging scheme. The text of the motion is set out below:
That this House condemns the decision by British Telecom to impose a charge on customers who do not pay their bills by direct debit or monthly payment plan; believes that this charge penalises many customers who pay their bills promptly, including many pensioners; and urges BT to change its charging policy.
