Cheaper Telus home phone -- if you ask for it

There's a new promotion for Telus customers that can add up to hundreds in annual savings, but you have to work to get it.

The battle for phone customers in British Columbia is heating up and Telus is matching a promotion by Shaw that offers long-term customers $20.95 for a basic home phone with call display, as long as you bundle it with high-speed internet.

But you may not actually need Telus high-speed internet to get the best savings.

CTV consumer reporter Chris Olsen called Telus Wednesday morning and was able to get the $20.95 rate even though he doesn't have high-speed internet with Telus. But he only got the deal after saying he was considering jumping ship to the Shaw phone.

The new rate will lower his cost of a basic phone with call display $16 a month - adding up to close to $200 a year.

Telus spokesperson Shawn Hall says any Telus customer who currently has high-speed internet will get the lower phone rate if they call in. For those who don't, it's up to the discretion of the customer service agent.

If you are a good customer who pays their bills on time you have a good shot of getting the reduction.

The Telus deal is not available in areas of B.C. like Prince George where Telus is still regulated by the CRTC. Those regulations mean the company can't compete with new competitors like Shaw.

"Typically speaking, anywhere there are two providers Telus is allowed to offer the lower prices," says Hall.

Here's the catch: Telus isn't calling its customers to offer them the deal -- they only call once a year -- so you have to make the call yourself.

The easiest way to get the deal is call their customer service line at 604-310-2255 or 250-310-2255 and say you've heard about the special promotion.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen