Various regulations and guidance now ban the use of 084, 087 and 09 numbers for various purposes. While compliance is relatively high, there is still much work to be done. This will, it seems, come down to educating organisations individually, one at a time.


In December 2013, the Cabinet Office published Guidance recommending that central government departments and their agencies along with 'other organisations across the wider public sector landscape' adopt geographic (01, 02) or geographic-rate (03) numbers. The guidance was further updated in October 2015 to take account of the new charging regime for calls to 084, 087 and 09 numbers.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmg-guidance-for-customer-service-lines
Compliance by central government is very high, but some local authorities have work to do. Many retain an 0845 number for an outsourced payments line or out-of-hours contact number.
http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/la_admit.pdf


In June 2014, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 came into force. These were published by BIS in December 2013. Regulation 41 requires retailers, traders and passenger transport companies to use 'basic rate' numbers (01, 02, 03 or 080) for post-sales helplines. The rules effectively ban the use of 084, 087 and 09 numbers for this purpose.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/3134/regulation/41/made
Additionally, in the event of non-compliance Regulation 41(2) gives the caller the right to a refund of any excess call costs incurred above 'basic rate'. Non-compliance can also be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizen's Advice national Consumer Helpline on 0345 404 0506.


In October 2015, new rules covering financial services, including banks and insurance companies, came into force. These require helplines for existing customers to use numbers starting 01, 02, 03 or 080, and effectively ban the use of 084, 087 and 09 numbers. The new rules were published by the FCA in July 2015.
http://www.fca.org.uk/news/ps15-19-improving-complaints-handling
http://www.fca.org.uk/your-fca/documents/policy-statements/ps15-19
Most banks have changed their numbers. Work by insurance companies is well advanced but there is room for improvement.


Usage of 087 and 09 numbers in the NHS was banned in 2005. The ban was extended in 2010 to cover usage of 084 and other numbers where the caller pays more than calling an 01, 02 or 03 number.
https://www.england.nhs.uk/2013/11/04/gps-084-num/
Multiple threads on this site document the long and difficult battle to get GP practices, NHS Trusts and other such organisations to comply. Five years later and there is still much work to be done.
http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/gps_october_2015.pdf


New Ofcom rules came into effect on 1 July which require all users of 084, 087, 09 and 118 numbers to declare the Service Charge for their number everywhere it is advertised or promoted. This mainly affects sales lines and pre-sales enquiry lines.
https://www.ukcalling.info/industry
Compliance with this new rule is low.
Those who are unaware what level of Service Charge is imposed on calls to their number can look it up here:
http://checkit.uboss.com/
Non-compliance can be reported to ASA (for numbers with a Service Charge up to 7p per minute or per call) or to PhonepayPlus (for numbers with a Service Charge of more than 7p per minute or per call).


Education consists of a few main points:

Where usage of 084, 087 and 09 numbers is prohibited, organisations must change their number.

Where usage of 084, 087 and 09 numbers is not prohibited, organisations must be made aware of the true cost of calling their numbers
http://www.fairtelecoms.org.uk/uploads/1/1/4/5/11456053/insanity.pdf
and the requirement to declare the Service Charge. Those who cannot justify the imposition of a Service Charge must change their number to stop imposing it.

Ofcom made 034 and 037 numbers available in 2007 for migration from the matching 084 or 087 number. Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling 01 and 02 numbers and count towards inclusive allowances on landlines and on mobiles.

One organisation I would like to add to this list for the NHS relates to District Nursing in Herefordshire; although the main number is a normal 01 number, the number given for between 10pm & 8am (emergencies) is an 0845 number for Primecare.   Surely this cannot be right or in line with the various guidance?  The number is given on the main district nurses' 01 number & there is no pricing information given whatsoever.   To whom should this be reported?   (Don't particularly want to argue with them or annoy them at the moment as I need them following an operation!)

Barbara wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2015 at 9:43am:

One organisation I would like to add to this list for the NHS relates to District Nursing in Herefordshire; although the main number is a normal 01 number, the number given for between 10pm & 8am (emergencies) is an 0845 number for Primecare.   Surely this cannot be right or in line with the various guidance?  The number is given on the main district nurses' 01 number & there is no pricing information given whatsoever.   To whom should this be reported?   (Don't particularly want to argue with them or annoy them at the moment as I need them following an operation!)

Responsibility for the breach of the terms of the NHS Constitution rests with the NHS Trust that commissions this service. Responsibility for the breach of the regulations covering declaration of the Service Charge rests with the provider of the service and those who solicit calls through publication of the number.

Please send details of the specific service, by PM or email, and I will be happy to raise the issue where appropriate.

This page shows an 0330 number for Primecare Herefordshire.
http://www.wyevalley.nhs.uk/visitors-and-patients/county-hospital-(acute)/a-z-departments/accident-and-emergency/nhs-alternatives.aspx
Is this a replacement for the 0845 number that has been communicated to you?

I accept this may be for a different service or the wrong geographical area.

Thanks SCV & Ian.  The number to which I referred (I will communicate the details direct to SCV) relate specifically to the out of hours (10pm to 8am) number for the district nurse service, you ring the main 01432 340861 number & there is generally at all times a recorded message saying leave your details for a call back "or, if between 10pm & 8am, ring (Primecare) on 0845" etc), there is no 03 alternative given nor any mention of the call cost.  The messages vary slightly as each district nurse seems to record their own but the lack of an 03 alternative or call cost is consistent. The number Ian found was for the out of hours GP service which seems to be different.

Useful advice...
http://www.thetelecomsteam.co.uk/telecoms-lifecycle-management-services/08-changes/

An organisation that has got it right...
http://www.pruadviser.co.uk/content/nav/46782/contact-telephone-numbers/