Simon Read: Calling 0845 from your mobile is a costly mistake

Confusion still remains over expensive 0845 and 0870 numbers that many companies – and government departments – try and force people to use. The fact is they are high-cost, especially if you make the mistake of using a mobile phone.

Research from the Post Office suggests we're spending an average extra £25 a year each by using mobiles to phone these numbers. They cost up to 41p a minute from mobiles, which can quickly add up if you're kept on hold by a bank, utility firm or government department.

But you can avoid the cost by using free evening and weekend calls offered by some landline providers. Or go to www.saynoto0870.com for a list of low-cost geographical alternative numbers to 0845 and 0870 and the others.