No one likes getting any bill in the post, but with a recent survey finding that energy bills confuse a massive 75% of the public, it seems that gas and electricity bills may be least popular of all.
Three quarters of those polled by YouGov on behalf of independent price comparison site uSwitch said that they find their energy bills confusing, while only 39% thought that their energy bills were written in plain English.
The survey also revealed the worrying statistic that only four in ten (40%) find it easy to work out how their energy company has calculated their bill.
With the average household spending £1,243 a year on energy bills, and uSwitch predicting that energy bills could quadruple over the next ten years, the quality of energy bills is of particular concern.
Gas and electricity account for a significant proportion of the average household’s budget, and poor bills could leave customers at risk of falling in debt to their energy company, and also make it harder for to find and understand basic information like consumption, spend and tariff details, which are essential for people who want to
compare gas and electricity prices and check that they are getting the best deal.
Energy suppliers seem to be lagging behind other sectors in terms of billing, for example, 72% of those polled said that they find bank and building society statements straightforward and easy to understand, and just 41% found credit and store card bills confusing.
Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, commented: "Nobody likes bills, but they do play a fundamental part in the relationship between a company and its customers. A well-written, clear and concise bill should leave consumers feeling empowered and in control, not bemused. This is why it is so worrying to find that three quarters of us are confused by our energy bills."
She added: "Ofgem has signalled its intention to work with suppliers on improving energy bills. This is a vital piece of work if we are to see well-informed consumers taking full advantage of the competitive energy market. If Ofgem is to succeed in making energy bills simpler, clearer and easier then it has to look outside of the energy industry for ideas on best practice. Judging by our research, it could do far worse than look to banks and building societies, which seem to be leading the way in providing consumers with bills and information they can easily understand."
