(MONEY Magazine) – Since the telephone industry was deregulated three years ago, $4 billion worth of new fees have shown up on our bills, according to Consumers Union. The latest: a charge for an option most of us don't yet have.

Since February, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been letting local phone carriers roll out a local-number-portability fee. The levy, which ranges from 23[cents] a month with Bell Atlantic to 53[cents] a month with US West, covers the cost of keeping your own phone number if you decide to switch local carriers. Trouble is, most of us don't have that choice. Even if you can't switch carriers yet, or never plan to, you're stuck with the fee for the next five years. To find out if you're one of the few consumers who have local phone choice, contact your state public utilities commission. You will be able to find links to state websites at www.naruc.org, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners site.

Another existing phone-bill fee is on the rise. You already pay a monthly fee--sometimes called the universal connectivity charge--to help cover the costs of wiring schools and libraries for Internet access. In May the FCC raised funding for the program by 67%. Carriers pass on the cost, so look for a fee that has averaged $1.13 a month to get fatter.

--ELYSSA YOON-JUNG LEE