Living independently

The way your telecare alarm unit connects to the telecare team is changing as phone lines switch from analogue to digital.

If you get a new phone, internet or TV package you must let us know. This is essential to make sure your alarm unit continues to work.

Please tell us about any changes by calling us on 0131 469 3862.

All analogue phone lines in Scotland will be turned off by the end of 2025. New digital phone lines will be put in place to replace the current analogue ones. This means that, by the end of 2025, we will install a new alarm unit that will work with the new digital lines.

No new analogue phone lines can be purchased in Corstorphine from July 2021 or in Abbeyhill from October 2021.

The changes could cause your telecare alarm to stop working.

You must let us know if:

• you get a new phone, TV, or internet service fitted as your broadband or phone provider may put in a digital line
• you are thinking of switching to a new TV or broadband package or company
• your telephone provider, for example BT, Virgin Media, Sky, tells you that your telephone line will be changing to a digital one.

Get in touch by calling us on 0131 469 3862.

You have the right to ask to delay the change to a digital telephone line.

We have sent guidance stickers to people who have telecare alarm units. If you have not received these please get in touch.

There are three stickers – two short and one long.

Please place one of the short stickers on your alarm box and the other short sticker on the telephone socket on your wall.

To attach the long sticker, please peel off the sticky tape from the back of the sticker and wrap the rest around the cable coming from your alarm box, then stick the two parts together.

This is to alert telecom engineers to contact us if they are fitting a digital phone line in your home.

If your telephone is connected to a traditional home telephone socket on your wall you have an analogue line.

If your telephone is connected to a different socket on your internet router, wifi hub or TV box, then you have a digital phone line and should get in touch with us immediately.

Please get in touch if you:

• have been moved to a digital line
• plan to change your TV, internet, phone package
• plan to change your TV or phone company
• have any questions

by calling us on 0131 469 3862  between 8.30am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

You can also email us on: a2d@edinburgh.gov.uk