COMPLAINTS about Cotswolds District Council using an 0845 number for emergency calls have prompted the council to explain the costs.
During 2013/14 the council spent a total of £1,815 on out of hours call handling with Astraline, responding to 486 calls and charging a £600 annual fee.
A spokesman for Cotswold District Council said: “In general terms calling an 0845 number from a landline costs around 3 to 5 pence per minute whilst calling an 0845 number from a mobile costs around 10 to 30 pence per minute.
“We are aware, however, that some providers charge a monthly ‘bundle’ fee which allows the user to call numbers beginning 08 for free.”
“The cost to use the 0845 emergency number will vary based on the time of day you call and your provider - it can range from between 1p and 12p per minute depending on the time of day for landline customers, plus a call set-up fee. Calls from mobile phones generally cost between 5p and 40p per minute.”
The council was keen to remind people that although they had received complaints about response times during severe flooding at the start of this year they had now been resolved and added that the service from Astraline does not replace the council’s daytime lines.
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