What’s the best free email service for someone moving from BT?

Patrick doesn't want to pay BT 5 a month to continue his email service, and would like a free alternative

I have used BT Openworld as my email provider for more than 10 years, and until now I have been paying 1.60 a month as I no longer have a BT landline. However, BT says the fee is soon to increase to 5 a month! Please can you suggest a reliable free alternative email provider? I have tried to set up a Yahoo account, but whenever I try to log in to Yahoo the screen reverts to BT Openworld. Patrick

Think of your Yahoo problem as a blessed escape. There are a couple of dozen free or freemium email services, but for most people, it boils down to Google's Gmail or Microsoft's Outlook.com. I recommend both, with Gmail as the primary address. Not everybody has the same requirements, but these meet most needs.