Because of the economy, many people are looking for a way to reduce their costs and one thing people tend to do is to get rid of their home phone line. But the question is, are home phones still useful?

Since people rely so heavily on their mobile phone, it may seem silly to pay an extra $50 per month for a utility that you hardly use. Mobile phones give you the comfort of never having to miss a call as you can take the phone with you wherever you go, whereas a home phone can only be used at home.

While your landline may not be your main form of communication anymore, there are still reasons to have a home phone connected.

Calling Rates

Consider this; when you sign up to a mobile phone plan, you are usually charged based on the amount of minutes you are on the phone call, therefore, regardless of whether you are on a cap or not, you run the risk of blowing out your phone bill, even if you are calling a local number.

With a landline, if you are calling locally, the call usually charged at a flat rate, no matter how long you talk. So, while a mobile call to another local mobile number could be eating up your minutes or cap, a landline call will remain at the same rate (but always check your home phone plan rates as this can vary depending on whether you call another landline or a mobile phone number).

Why You Should Hang on to a Landline

Despite all of the great advantages that a mobile phone offers, you will have extra security by having access to a landline.

In the case of a power outage, landlines will work since you do not need a charger (make sure you have a back up phone that does not require a power source).

With a mobile phone, there are more responsibilities to ensure it functions, such as plugging your phone in at night and making sure that you do not lose it. In the event that your phone is lost, you will lose all communication. You will be unable to let people know that you are alright and that your phone has been stolen.

With a landline, you have the extra security that if something happens with your mobile phone there is still a way for your friends and family to stay in touch.

In the case of an emergency phone call to 000, having a landline is much better than a mobile phone as operators will be able to determine your location based on the area code you are calling from.

At the end of the day, while mobile phones have allowed us to stay in touch with people while we are out and about, a home phone is still an affordable back up to have and a way to avoid having your mobile phone plan exceed its cap.

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