Cash point

Up to 16.2million households could be owed money by their energy supplier. That’s the number who pay bills via fixed monthly direct debits which can result in overpayments.

Research from Moneysupermaket reveals estimated bills are the main culprit. More than half of payers haven’t taken a meter reading over the past month. One in five can’t remember the last time they took one – and one in 20 has never taken one. With the worst of the cold weather behind us, find out if you could be due a refund by contacting your supplier with electricity and gas meter readings.

While most suppliers automatically refund credit balances annually, this can be subject to a minimum amount, and each provider’s policies vary. Do it yourself and speed things up. Taking regular readings will help keep your bills more accurate.

It’s also worth checking you’re on the best energy tariff as three of the big six, E.ON, British Gas and EDF, have recently announced price hikes.

Make sure you don’t get hit and pay way over the odds.

The Mirror’s energy switch service can help you compare the market at mirror.co.uk/energy or call 0800 008 7799.