Fundamentally what has happened here is your taktalk internet provider has decided in their wisdom to simply stop offering email addresses as a part of the internet package. They have pawned off that functionality to a third party called Everymail that charges for what was previously a free component of your talktalk subscription. If you wish to continue to use the @talktalk.net email address then you have no choice but to pay. There are lots of free email providers out there you can use, but like uprooting yourself and moving house, you have to notify everyone of your new address and there is now forwarding address card you can complete and lodge at the post office. [https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/07/talktalk-broadband-email-closure/ This page] talks in general about the change and what you can do to retain your historical mail, even if you do not pay. Although If you use POP mail in Thunderbird now, you might have to do nothing as a local to your computer copy will already exist. If you use IMAP then you have to actually actively do something to backup your talktalk mail unless you are paying them. I am offering you al ink to more expert information because here in Australia I am not overly aware of what is happening with TalkTalk, so felt a local news source might serve you better. You can always start a new email address with one of the providers mentioned in the article, or [https://www.gmx.com/mail/ GMX], for free. But then you would need to tell everyone to use it. What you ultimately choose to do is up to you, but the thing is a legitimate business decision, not some form of scam.

Thank you for your reply and I will have to decide what to do next.