Heinz wrote on Aug 14
th, 2010 at 2:22pm:
... even though BT are nearly always the cheapest for 0845 and 0870 calls now, a weekday daytime 0845 call of just over a minute would cost 9.9p + 4p + rounding up = 14p (and that'll be 15p from 1-10-2010 when the call set-up fee rises to 10.9p) if you're on their Unlimited Weekend or Unlimited Evening & Weekend calls plans so the call is not inclusive.
The tricky issue we have to deal with is that for non-inclusive calls BT charges less for 0845 than 01/02/03. (When inclusive, the charge is the same!)
The equivalent costs for a 01/02/03 call in the example given above are 16p, from 1 Oct 18p.
The difference is because BT's pence per minute rates for 0845 and other NTS (e.g. 0844/3, 0871/2/3, 09) calls are regulated, whereas its setup fee and rates for other calls are not. The latter continue to increase steadily at around 30% per annum.
BT however now originates less than 50% of residential landline calls, less than 25% of all UK telephone calls.
Due to both of these factors, BT is the exception, not the rule. I offer the following:
Quote:Calls to 084 numbers are more expensive than calls to 01/02/03 numbers - charges from BT may vary.
To address the question posed by the OP. There are no call type differences within the 0845 range; the cost of calling any 0845 number is the same as any other 0845 number. Other NTS ranges (e.g. 0844/3, 0871/2/3, 09) are subdivided based on further digits of the number.