Thinking of leaving BT
0800 783 1401Getting to the right team
We don't yet know how BT's phone menu is structured, so we're not going to guess. If you work it out, we'd like to hear from you.
Before you call
What to know first
The number widely circulated for BT is not the one BT publishes. Directories and haggling guides commonly give 0800 800 150. That number does not appear anywhere on bt.com. The number below is the one on BT’s own leaving page.
Check whether you are still in your minimum term before you call — if you are, the early termination charge below applies, and it changes the maths on switching. General
The two numbers that matter
Notice and what leaving costs
Notice period30 days
BT states you must give 30 days’ notice before you leave, and that your service stops 30 days after you cancel.
Leaving earlyLeaving early costs the rest of your contract.
BT sets out the calculation on its own site: take your monthly price, multiply it by the months left on each service contract, and add VAT. There is no cap beyond that.
On the call
What you can hold them to
We don't publish negotiation scripts for broadband. There is no Ofcom equivalent of the insurance price-parity rule, so anything we wrote would be generic advice we could not source. What you can use are three things that are documented:
- Their own best tariff, which they were required to send you. The end-of-contract notification must list BT's best available deals. Asking them to match a price they were legally obliged to tell you about is a concrete request, not a favour. Verified
- The exact cost of walking away. BT publishes how the charge is worked out, so you can calculate it before you dial and negotiate against a real figure rather than a guess. Verified
- A switch that no longer needs their cooperation. Under One Touch Switch you arrange everything with the new provider. That makes leaving genuinely easy, which is what gives the conversation weight. Verified
General We don't claim any of this will reduce your bill. It describes what is documented, not what will happen on your call.
Your rights
What you're entitled to
- They have to tell you when your contract is ending — and what their best deal is. Under Ofcom's General Conditions, providers must send an end-of-contract notification before your fixed period ends. It has to be a separate message, not a line buried in a bill, and it must state the end date, the price you pay now, the price you will pay afterwards, how to leave, and the provider's own best available tariffs. In force since 15 February 2020. Verified
- Once the fixed period ends, leaving costs nothing. The end-of-contract notification must say so explicitly. After your minimum term, no early termination charge applies — only the notice period, which varies by provider. Verified
- If you're already out of contract, they must remind you every year. Providers must send an annual best-tariff notification to customers who are no longer in a fixed commitment period — again as a separate, standalone message, telling you what their best deals are. Verified
- An unexpected price rise lets you leave penalty-free. If a provider changes your contract in a way that was not set out when you signed, they must give at least one month’s notice and tell you that you may leave at no cost. Exercise that right and no early termination charge is payable. This does not apply to a rise that was properly specified at the point of sale. Verified
- Leaving early costs the rest of your contract. BT sets out the calculation on its own site: take your monthly price, multiply it by the months left on each service contract, and add VAT. There is no cap beyond that. Verified
Ofcom’s guidance says that notification should arrive between 10 and 40 days before the fixed period ends. Worth being precise: the 10-to-40-day window sits in the guidance under the Condition rather than in the Condition itself. General
One thing worth knowing before you call at all: if you are simply switching to another broadband provider, One Touch Switch means your new provider handles the cancellation. You contact them, not your current provider. The full explainer is here.
Where this comes from
| Claim | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving number 0800 783 1401, and its opening hours | BT’s own “Thinking of leaving BT” help page | 26 July 2026 |
| 30 days’ notice requirement | BT’s own leaving page | 26 July 2026 |
| Early termination charge calculation | BT’s own leaving page | 26 July 2026 |
| Number 0800 800 150 | Widely republished by directories and haggling guides; does not appear on bt.com | Unverified |
Bill Watch
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