Baffled and bemused
Late last week, a number of national newspapers reported on a study by uSwitch.com, which revealed 86% of consumers struggled to understand their utility bills.
The comparison website warned people were left "potentially out of pocket by jargon-heavy and over-complicated household bills", and families have been over-charged by £6.7bn on household bills over the last year.
The study identified energy suppliers as the worst offenders for baffling bills - and said more than eight in ten people (82%) find energy bills harder to understand than any other household bill.
86% say energy bills are too complicated, 73% say they use too much jargon and 65% cannot find the information they need.
While this is hardly difficult to believe, it is certainly not a new issue. With many providers changing the way they present data what appears to be every other billing period, 86% of consumers being confused seems a fairly conservative figure.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Elinore Mackay and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Electrical Review. This content represents individual perspective and industry commentary.
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