... and we overpaid power firms £1.5bn

MILLIONS of British customers have overpaid £1.5billion to energy firms, it was claimed last night.

Some 12million homes are thought to be in credit after paying too much for gas and electricity during the mild winter.

Nearly half are owed an average of £126, while one in ten should get £200 back, the comparison website uSwitch said – although this was disputed by the energy firms. The survey claimed Ovo customers were due the largest refunds, with more than half saying they were owed an average of £171. Npower and Scottish Power customers said their accounts were in credit by £157 and £149 respectively, while 39 per cent of those with British Gas claimed they were owed £137.

Co- op Energy has the most out- ofpocket customers, with 69 per cent claiming to have overpaid £156.

Just three of the ‘Big Six’ suppliers – British Gas, Scottish Power and Npower – repay credit automatically. But experts warn that 55 per cent of customers will have to chase firms themselves.

Overpayments arise when families pay their bill by direct debit. As the payments are fixed each month, customers build up credit in summer that is meant to cover their higher winter usage.

Rik Smith, from uSwitch, which surveyed more than 2,000 bill-payers, said: ‘People should not have to chase to get their own money back.’

Ovo said it paid interest on credit balances, while Co- op Energy blamed the mild winter for high customer credits.