BRITISH consumers will spend more than £1.6 billion dialling premium-rate phone services this year, more than in any other country in the world.

The total bill is equivalent to an annual spend of £35 for every adult in Britain, according to a report by Icstis, the premium-rate regulator.

The industry has been fuelled by the popularity of reality TV: vote lines on shows such as Big Brother, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Pop Idol charge premium rates, as do computer help lines and directory-enquiry services.

These lines, with usually begin with 090 or 118 in the case of directory enquiries, can charge up to £1.50 from a BT landline, 20 times as much as standard phone calls.

Despite the size of the industry, the number of complaints to Icstis fell 75 per cent to 19,593 in 2005-6, largely because of a crackdown on rogue internet services. Fraudsters had been sending viruses to computers ordering them to dial premium-rate services without the user’s knowledge.

Premium-rate services must state their charges clearly, and consumers can complain to Icstis if they fail to comply. The regulator can also accept complaints about the content of services and their overall operation.

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