Householders and businesses in Bradford could have to dial the city’s area code even when making local calls as part of measures to make more phone numbers available.

According to communications watchdog Ofcom, Bradford is one of seven areas expected to need more landline numbers by 2015.

The regulator has seen demand for its supply of blocks of phone numbers increase significantly during the last six years, due to a rise in the number of communication providers.

One proposal would see people in some areas dial a whole phone number, including the area code, when making local calls which would enable the first digit after the area code to start with 0 or 1, consequently freeing up more numbers.

This would be phased in gradually from around 2013, depending on number availability in each area. People affected will be informed at least a year in advance of the need to use the code.

Jean Walker, chairman of Bradford and District Senior Power, warned that the need to dial more numbers could cause problems for older people.

She said: “We should be making things easier for older people not making things harder.

“This is another thing that might be fine for the younger generation but certainly doesn’t help older people and makes them more isolated and stressed. As an older person, I know how difficult it is.”

But Keith Nathan, chief executive of Age Concern Bradford and District, disagreed. He said: “I don’t think it would have an enormous impact because the most needy people are already getting help with dealing with this sort of thing. So many people have phones now that are able to store key numbers.”

Ofcom has also proposed a pilot scheme to charge communication providers 10p per phone number per year in area codes where supply is limited to encourage communications providers to consider carefully before applying for new bulk allocations of phone numbers.

This would be applied to numbers that have already been allocated to communication providers as well as to future allocations and would also encourage unused allocations of numbers to be returned to Ofcom.

Subject to consultation, the regulator expects the pilot to start by 2012. Ofcom has also proposed ways to tighten the application process for phone numbers.