With all of the cellular carriers now offering unlimited plans as low as $49.99, this weekend the Los Angeles Times reported on a study, by the San Diego based Utility Consumers’ Action Network which shows many customers pay for much more time than they use.

The Utility Consumers’ Action Network (UCAN) averaged out the cellular minutes and costs of 700 San Diego residents to come up with the $3.02 per minute value. On the surface this seems way out of band, however the LA Times wrote: “That $3-per-minute figure is skewed by the relatively small percentage of people who pay for a lot of minutes but barely use any. But even when those folk are taken out of the mix, most wireless customers still pay between 50 cents and $1 per minute, the study found.” This clarification is important and although I still think $.50 to $1 is very high, it makes more sense.

I decided to open up Excel and put my current T-Mobile Family bill to the test. I added up all of our Whenever minutes used including Weekend, HotSpot@Home, MyFaves, and T-Mobile to Mobile calls. I came up with $.04 per minute (taxes excluded) for the 2328 voice minutes we used. I felt much better that my current plans seems right for my situation. From the study’s results it seems a lot of consumers don’t bother analyzing their bills. All of the cellular carriers will help you figure out the best plan for your usage pattern, so there is no excuse for paying more than you need especially in this economic environment.

What is your current per minute cost? Please post carrier and per minute rate from your last bill in the comments.