UK telephone code misconceptions

Widespread UK telephone code misconceptions, in particular brought on by the Big Number Change in 2000, have been reported by regulator Ofcom since publication of a report it commissioned in 2004.[1]

The telephone area code for most of Greater London and some surrounding areas is 020, not "0207", "0208" or "0203".[2] A study was commissioned in 2005 which found that only 13 per cent of respondents correctly identified the 020 code for London without prompting: 59 per cent incorrectly identified it as "0207" or "0208".[3] This is not just an issue of number appearance; the correct way to call a London landline number from a landline within the London telephone area is to dial the last 8 digits. The trunk prefix "0", and area dialling code "20", if included, are ignored.

Other area codes with similarly widespread misconceptions about the correct area code include Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Leeds, Leicester, Northern Ireland, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton.

  1. ^ Ofcom (16 November 2004). "Telephone Numbering Program - The London Project" (PDF). Office of Communications. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2011.
  2. ^ Ofcom (20 August 2009). "Telephone numbers – the facts and figures : (Boxout) Is it (020) 7 or 0207?". Office of Communications. Archived from the original on 10 July 2010.
  3. ^ Ofcom (14 April 2005). "London telephone numbers: New sub-range for London: (020) Research report, February 2005" (PDF). Office of Communications. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 July 2011.