The cost of Manx Telecom (MT) paper bills has this month risen from £1.75 to £2.50 (plus VAT), which represents a rise of 42.8%.

By comparison, the inflation rate for May, as measured by the consumer price index, rose to 3.5%.

MT stated that the increase ’reflects the ongoing costs to manage, print and post out paper bills, as well as Manx Telecom’s investment in providing more environmentally responsible and sustainable operations.’

Castletown, Arbory and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse raised the issue in Tynwald.

Mr Moorhouse asked Minister for Policy and Reform Ray Harmer what discussions he had undertaken with MT before the decision to make the increase.

The minister replied that though this was not within his remit, he had raised the issue with Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority, who had been looking into the issue.

He was told that there was nothing to prevent Manx Telecom from charging for paper bills.

Mr Harmer also explained: ’There is a provision in the [MT] licence that the customers shall, on request, be provided with an itemised bill at no additional charge. However, the format is not specified.

’MT provides all customers with access to online bills free of charge and the authority determined that this was in keeping with the terms of its licence.’

This echoed MT’s statement, which encouraged as many customers as possible to sign up for the free online billing service at mt.im/mymt to avoid any future paper billing charges.

Mr Moorhouse then expressed his concerns to the Minister that these charges would particularly impact those with low incomes, no smartphones or internet access, and referred to the past work that Mr Harmer had done on poverty.

Mr Harmer said that it was an issue relating to the ’digitally excluded’ (people who lack access to technology) and poverty, and that he did not personally agree with MT’s decision.

However, he acknowledged that as it stands it was a matter for the Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority, although he added that he would be supportive of a policy being discussed in Tynwald in the future about whether to not charge the digitally excluded for paper bills.

Mr Moorhouse told the Manx Independent that it was fortunate that this issue came up ahead of Tynwald discussing the Report from the Poverty Committee this month, and described the move as ’wholly misguided by a local business which clearly takes such pride in corporate and social responsibility’, adding that he hoped MT’s board would reconsider their decision.

Mr Moorhouse also expressed his concern about the impact this would have on the sub post office network, with one sub post master having expressed to him their concerns about a decline in transactions from paper bills, and also the impact the charge would have on the elderly who pay bills via the post office.

Between March 23 and June 15 last year 15,286 people did so.