KC plans to charge £1 for paper bills

Kingston Communications customers have spoken of their outrage at plans to charge them for their own bills.

The company, based in Carr Lane, Hull city centre, is introducing a £1 charge for customers who continue to receive their bills by post.

KC said the charge, which will affect most of its telephone packages, will add up to an extra £4 per year on customers' bills and is aimed at encouraging people to adopt the company's paperless billing system.

But customer Stephen Haigh, 52, of St Hilda Street, west Hull, said he will be refusing to pay the £1 surcharge.

He said: "It's daylight robbery and I won't pay. I will pay for the line rental and the call charges – that's it.

"What are they going to do if people don't pay? Cut them off for the sake of £1?

"It's absolutely ridiculous."

A KC spokeswoman said the move will produce environmental benefits by reducing the number of trees needed to be cut down to produce the bills.

The spokeswoman said a proportion of the money raised through the charge, which is to be introduced on January 1 next year, will be donated to charity HEYwoods, which plants trees in residential areas and roadsides to increase green space in urban areas.

A number of KC customers will be exempt from paying the charge, including those on its Social Access Package which covers people on income support, pension credit, job seekers allowance, housing benefit and disability living allowance.

Customers on its Light User Scheme, Basic Contact and Basic Call will also not have to pay.

Widow Ethel Neild, 83, of Bransholme, does not yet know if she will be subject to the charge.

But she accused KC of having a "damn cheek" for introducing it.

Mrs Neild said: "They are making enough money out of people without charging them £1 just to receive their bill through the post."