Three in ten homes receive inaccurate energy bills

Published 15th Apr 2010

Gas and electricity suppliers voted worst at billing for fourth year in a row

The UK’s energy companies are in the doghouse again. New research by uSwitch.com, the price comparison website, shows that three in ten households have been incorrectly billed by their energy supplier within the past two years.

More than 11 million households have ended up owing money to their gas or electricity provider following a discrepancy between an estimated bill and a bill based on a meter reading.

Billing inaccuracies take, on average, just over two months to resolve and the average amount owed by energy customers following a billing discrepancy has risen by £11 to £153.

In view of these shortcomings, it is not surprising that consumers have, for the fourth year in a row, named energy suppliers as the worst culprits for getting bills wrong. The energy companies topped the poll for inaccurate billing, ahead of the Revenue, in second place and phone and TV companies in third place.

USwitch reports that growing numbers of householders are taking matters into their own hands, with more than seven out of ten carrying out their own meter readings and passing them on to their energy supplier.

Anne Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: “Clearly there’s a l;ong way to go before the energy industry lays the ghost of bad billing to rest, but there is some hope here. The fact that more households are providing energy suppliers with meter readings will play no small part in improving the accuracy of our energy bills.”

Peter Jenkins, Head of Communications for Energy UK, the energy retailers' trade body, said: “We are encouraged that 71 per cent of households are now contacting their energy company with accurate meter readings. This is one of the easiest ways to avoid any problems that can come from estimated billing. We are further encouraged that the latest research from uSwitch shows there has been a fall in the number of people reporting inaccurate billing over the past year.

“Ultimately the energy industry is moving towards a future where estimated bills are a thing of the past. The introduction of smart meters to every household in the country this decade will enable customers to increase control over their energy use and see exactly how much energy they are using in their home.”

Source: ' Times '

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