£102million energy bills overcharge
But blunder firms delay refunds
ENERGY firms overcharged 1.3 million households £102million due to billing blunders last year.
And uSwitch found it took most people 35 days to get an average of £78.50 refunded – but more than a fifth are still waiting for their cash.
A third of overcharged customers spotted the bill did not match the meter reading and a quarter found the maths simply did not add up.
Price comparison site uSwitch wants firms to simplify bills, show how they are worked out and offer refunds in a month.
Its energy expert Claire Osborne said: “Customers paying the price for suppliers’ mistakes is unacceptable. Households already feel the pinch from recent price rises.” Almost one in 10 customers studied by uSwitch said energy firms had taken the wrong amount from a direct debit. A fifth do not bother checking bills as they found them too hard to understand. Regulator Ofgem said yesterday it was working with suppliers to simplify bills. It added: “Ofgem already requires them to make clear whether bills are based on actual or estimated use. “Smart meters will address the issue of estimated readings by billing according to actual energy usage.”