Former TalkTalk broadband user? Your free email address will soon stop working unless you pay – here's what you need to know

The firm says it's "unable to continue" offering email at no cost after changing the email provider it uses behind the scenes.

Previously, if you left TalkTalk, you could keep your linked email account for free for up to two years with its webmail service through a web browser, after which you had to subscribe to its paid-for service. However, those who've left more recently have had to pay to subscribe immediately.

Which email addresses are affected

The impacted addresses include:

@talktalk.net
@lineone.net
@tiscali.co.uk
@tinyworld.co.uk
@pipex.com

Some other addresses may also be affected, as TalkTalk manages a range of accounts – though it hasn't provided a full list.

You'll need to switch or start paying by 31 October 2025

If affected, you should have received an email from TalkTalk to let you know and give you the option to subscribe to the paid-for service from new provider Everymail. If you do nothing:

• From Monday 28 July, you'll no longer be able to send emails. You'll still be able to receive emails and log in to access existing messages.

• From 8 September 2025, you'll no longer be able to log in to your account unless you sign up for the paid service.

• On 31 October 2025, your email account will be permanently closed and all associated data will be deleted.

Don't want to pay for your email account? Get a free one

Firstly, if you don't want to subscribe to TalkTalk's paid-for service, you can download your existing email data now. You should then be able to upload this to a new account with a different provider (exactly how to do this will vary based on provider, but you can search online for help).

If you want to switch elsewhere, whether you're a current or former TalkTalk customer, it's a good idea to set up an independent email address that's completely separate from your broadband provider – that way you're not locked in.

Popular free email providers include Google's Gmail, Microsoft's Outlook and Yahoo Mail. For more help, see our email switching tips.

Existing TalkTalk customers can keep using their email for free

Existing TalkTalk broadband customers aren't affected by the move and can keep using their email addresses for free.

However, a few current customers have reported receiving emails inviting them to subscribe to Everymail or risk losing their accounts. This is likely due to a discrepancy between their TalkTalk email address and the one linked to their broadband account – TalkTalk's community forum has instructions for fixing this.

There is currently no change to TalkTalk's existing 'Mail Plus' paid service.