Ofcom to cap price of 118 directory enquiry calls

Research shows an estimated 450,000 people pay a combined total of £2.4m more than they expect to for directory enquiry calls each year

The majority of people using directory enquiry services are elderly (Getty/iStock)

The cost of calls to directory enquiry services is to be restricted via a new price cap on 118 phone numbers, the communications watchdog has announced.

Ofcom said it has become “concerned about steep rises in directory enquiry prices”, and said some companies are charging almost £20 for a 90-second call to these services, while a 90-second call to the most popular service, 118 118, now costs £11.23.

The “cost of calling many of these services is now well above what people expect to pay”, according to the regulator.

Ofcom’s research shows an estimated 450,000 people pay a combined total of £2.4m more than they expect to for directory enquiry calls every year – and some of those callers are struggling to pay their bills.

The watchdog also said that while the number of calls to 118 numbers has been falling by about 40 per cent each year, more than a million people still use them, particularly the elderly.

Jane Rumble, Ofcom’s director of consumer policy, said: “Directory enquiry prices have risen in recent years, and callers are paying much more than they expect. Our evidence shows this is hurting people, with some struggling to pay their bills.

“We’re taking action to protect callers by capping 118 prices. This will significantly cut the cost of many calls, and bring them back to 2012 levels.”