BE A BRIGHT SPARK AND YOU CAN SAVE

MILLIONS of households are owed an average of £126 from their energy firm, while others are in arrears to their supplier by an average of £122. How can this be? And what should you do whether you are in credit or in debt? We chatted to Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at comparison site uSwitch.com about what you need to know... If you manage your bills online, log in to check your account balance. If not, take a look at your latest energy bill or call your supplier.

While some suppliers refund automatically, it’s worth keeping an eye on your bills. Uswitch research found more than half of bill payers have to chase their energy firm to get money back. Energy bills, particular those paid by direct debit, are estimated based on use for previous years.

If your consumption changes, direct debits and estimated bills won’t reflect this. It has been a mild winter, leaving many households in credit. Get in touch with your supplier and ask for a refund. A word of warning, though – even if you are in credit, discuss your balance with your supplier.

Your direct debit should have been worked out to cover your expenditure over the year.

However, if you find yourself more than one month in credit, ask for your money back. If your supplier refuses to refund you and you don’t agree with the reasons given, you can raise the issue with the Energ at ombudsman-serv 0330 440 1614. Avoid over or unders energy by providing readings to your sup Switch and save. The to noticeably cut cos