Energy firms the worst for inaccurate bills

More than nine million UK households have been sent at least one incorrect energy bill in the past two years, new research by uSwitch.com has discovered.

The price comparison site found that energy suppliers are the worst culprits for supplying incorrect bills, ahead of the Inland Revenue, local councils, and mobile phone companies.

Six million households have been sent incorrect energy bills on more than one occasion, whilst 42% of those polled said they’d been left owing money to their supplier because of a discrepancy between their actual meter reading and the estimated reading on their bills.

On average, households said they had been overcharged £142 because of inaccurate estimated meter readings.

Meanwhile, energy companies are taking around 2 months to rectify each mistake.

The discrepancies have occurred despite the majority of households giving their energy supplier a meter reading within the past six months.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: “The energy industry’s reputation for accuracy is suffering because it is still relying on an estimated billing system.

“In the last two years alone 11 million energy customers have fallen foul of a discrepancy between an estimated and actual bill.

“Not only can this leave people unexpectedly out of pocket but it can also damage their confidence in their supplier.”

She added that the problem will only be solved when smart meters are rolled-out nationwide.

Smart meters provide real time energy readings to suppliers, whilst enabling households to monitor exactly how much their are spending on electricity and gas.

Recent research by Which? Money found that a quarter of Brits are owned more than £100 by their energy supplier.