The company announced recently that the minimum cost of making a call will become 17.3p from October 2010. It says the increase is needed to help it 'survive the effects of the recession.'
Steve said; "I am disappointed to hear this news, especially from a business that reported profits of just over £1bn last year. BT should be recognising that the last thing many of their customers need right now is higher bills. They should also remember that this is a highly competitive market thanks to deregulation of the telecoms market."
Steve reserved his strongest comments for the company's insistence that customers could avoid the price rises by paying a year's line rental in advance or signing up for email-only billing.
"Lots of the people I represent, especially those on fixed incomes, will not be able to pay out for a year's landline up front. I also think it is pretty mean-spirited to discriminate in this way against those who are not online."