I think if I can understand this rather terse message carolegan is saying she is getting a message on her mobile which states '' phone can only be used in an emergency'' & wont let me use it to ring out & it still has money in credit.
My answer is use another phone to ring your supplier & ask them to get it sorted.
Sounds like it's just not connecting to the correct network & is offering emergency calls through one of the others - could well be that your provider's network is down in your area.
So first :
"Have you tried turning it completely off (plus remove the battery if you know how) and counting twenty before turning it on again?" That should give it a chance to sort itself out & try to reconnect to the correct network if possible.
I'm surprised a poor signal area makes a difference. It still offers emergency calls so the signal must be ok. Maybe emergency calls would be carried on a rival mobile provider's network, perhaps.
"I'm surprised a poor signal area makes a difference. It still offers emergency calls so the signal must be ok. "
If you are on (say) Vodafone, in an area where their coverage is poor, but another provider has good coverage, you can make emergency calls via the other provider's network. The phone will automatically "roam" between providers for emergency calls only.