Billing confusion an issue for 42 per cent of consumers

A new survey has found only 55 per cent find their energy and water bills “easy” or “quite easy” to understand, while 42 per cent said they’re “neither easy nor difficult”, “quite difficult” or “very difficult” to get to grips with.

When questioned as to what their bills include, over 44 per cent of respondents said they are unaware they are subsidising the national smart meter roll out, 41 percent didn’t know they are contributing to renewable energy and government energy efficiency schemes, and 34 per cent weren’t aware their bills help fund the energy networks, according to a survey carried out by Harris Interactive exclusively for Utility Week.

As to how the billing system could be improved, more than 47 per cent said bills should include ways each individual customer could save money, be this by moving tariff or changing their behaviour. And 51 per cent thought bills should be clearer about all the different costs that make up your charge and why they are included.

Elsewhere in the survey, 71 per cent said they support the proposed price cap for vulnerable customers, and 61 per cent support a price cap on all standard variable tariffs (SVTs) and default tariffs.

The survey also found 36 per cent are in support of the renationalisation of the energy supply industry,  and 38 per cent favour renationalisation of the water industry.