I use debian but I only use free webmail on the internet for my email service (e.g. gmail, yahoo etc).

I have found that debian has an email programme just like Windows has Microsoft Outlook.
Can someone please explain how I can have 'debian email'?

What do I have to do on my debian jessie OS?
Do I have to pay for a secure email service through debian?
I don't mind paying (a small amount) as long as I'm encrypted.

However, after using debian for several years, I am surprised I know so little about secure emails from this OS.

If you are talking about mail address such as user@debian.org, you can not get it, it is only for developers. If you are talking about using mail applications to securely access your mail on gmail, yahoo etc, you can use several apps for that, both in terminal and in GUI. Thunderbird is one of those easy to use GUI apps. Evolution comes as default with gnome. Kmail comes with kde.

If you are worried about security, set up your email clients using SSL/TLS. Your email providers should provide information for how to set up email clients for their email servers.

Evolution walks you through the new account creation process. About all you need to know are the names of the email servers, which are frequently the same server.

I see. So I can open up Thunderbird and point it to my free webmail like hotmail, for example?

I use Debian with the Xfce GUI.
When I select 'Mail Reader' app from the 'Applications Menu' tab, a terminal opens with the following message:
So should I create a 'Mail' file on the home directory?
However, what happens after that?

I can't seem to find Thunderbird on the Xfce GUI. Should I try installing it with apt-get?

So if I have free webmail on the internet, the webmail provider can use secure SSL/TLS?

I think I read somewhere that the 'free webmail' services aren't so secure.
To offer a free email service they still need to sell your details to third parties.

With Debian, I think they offer secure email but you have to buy a domain name from Debian-selected providers using Thunderbird.
If I do this, then I'll need to pass on my credit card details to the email provider.
Has anyone done this for a secure email service?

I have looked up info on Evolution on Wiki. It says 'In 2012 SUSE decided to stop its funding of Evolution's development and assigned its developers elsewhere'.

So this means Evolution has little or no support.

Also with Thunderbird: 'On May 9, 2017...Mozilla Foundation will continue to serve as the legal and fiscal home for the Thunderbird project, but that Thunderbird will migrate off Mozilla Corporation infrastructure'

Again, this seems to mean Mozilla Thunderbird will become unsupported.

So with Linux distros, there are no means of getting secure email.
We have to use free webmail or find trusted email providers who are promising security.

For someone who knows so little, you assume so much. Most/all email clients on linux can be set up to use secure connection and/or use it by default. Also, wiki is hardly place for accurate informations. Sometimes they got it right, sometimes not. Evolution does not depend on suse, it is gnome project and it is actively developed. Thunderbird is also actively developed, with no plans to stop its development. Kmail is part of kde and is actively developed too. All these, plus several other GUI clients, like claws mail, sylpheed, geary and so on you can install and use easily. On top of that, there are also several terminal mail clients, that can be used from command line, like mutt, alpine, gnus and so on. In other words, learn to use googling before you jump into baseless conclusions. As for how to use mail clients to point them to your mail provider, net is literary full with tutorials, both those including pictures and video ones. As for what is your default mail client on xfce, have no idea.

1 and 2 Yes, you should and nothing important, it is simply standard home directory mail file.
3. If you already have some mail client installed, no, no need for that. Unless for some reason you would prefer thunderbird.

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In my experience, you can use TLS/SSL on any Linux email client, including text clients such as Mutt, as long as the email provider makes them available. Consult your provider's website for the proper settings.

With a GUI client such as Thunderbird or Claws, you would normally not have to created a "mail" directory; they manage the mailstore themselves. If you are using a command line client such as Mutt, you will generally need to do so.

This article from the Arch wiki provides an excellent intro to Mutt and, by extension, command line email clients: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/mutt

I did a podcast for Hacker Public Radio about Mutt. You may find some of the links in the shownotes helpful.

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Evolution is still actively developed. It's simply no longer developed by Suse. It's actively developed and supported by the Gnome Foundation, the latest release was in fact just days ago.

In the same way, Thunderbird is and will continue to be still actively developed, it will simply no longer be developed by the Mozilla Foundation.

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You didn't ask for an opinion, but I'll give mine on which email client to use. I personally like Thunderbird. It has lots of features, plus tons of addons that you can use for added functionality like calender, themes, and a many others.

Both Evolution and Thunderbird work well with gmail for me. At the moment I'm using Thunderbird to access my gmail account (Debian 9).

What? Linux offers the same ways of accessing the same email accounts as Windows and MacOS. Just use TLS/SSL with any mail client as you would any other OS. Really, what on earth are you talking about?

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This you mention Mutt which is a mail client that comes included by default in xfce. This client is handled by terminal and from what I see may be difficult to handle for you at the moment, I suggest you use any other GUI.

Greetings.

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