Consumers fail utility bill calculation test
uSwitch.com has found that the majority of people find utility bills confusing.
Households cannot add up how much they owe in utility bills, according to new research from uSwitch.com.The financial advice website has challenged 2,700 people to take up the simple task of calculating the sum total owed on an average utility bill, but 86 per cent of those who tried have failed to reach the correct amount.
Still available on the website, 7,000 people have joined a petition to make their voice heard about the complexity of utility bills and the evident trouble households are having working out their payments.
While Ofgem, the consumer watchdog for energy, is apparently looking into the matter, the website believes the results of the test will show more clearly the problem with the lack of clarity in utility bills.
Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch.com, said: "You shouldn't need to be an A-grade student to be able to understand your energy bills.
"It's deeply worrying that only 14 per cent of people have passed what should be a straightforward test - it serves to highlight the fact that large numbers of consumers are in danger of being excluded because energy bills are far more complicated than they need to be," she added.
The consumer watchdog for water utility bills recently said that it wants to see the price of the service reduce from an average of £344 to £330 per year by 2015.
Currently, Ofwat has not been involved in the setting of prices for water and sewerage, but it wants to ensure that costs are regulated to avoid discrepancies between companies.
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