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Consumers overcharged on utility bills
18/04/2008 10:53:00
An estimated eight million households have been overcharged on their utility bills during the last three months, according to a financial expert.
Findings from moneysupermarket.com revealed that households, who are already under increasing financial pressure due to the credit crunch, are facing additional debt problems due to supplier mistakes.
Up to 17 per cent of Brits have found a mistake in their bill in the last quarter, and over a third (34 per cent) in the last year.
Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said that the large number of people who have been hit with an incorrect bill only illustrates how inadequate some utility providers can be.
"Consumers are already facing increased living costs, the last thing they need is to be charged for something they never had," he added.
Despite mistakes on the part of the suppliers, half of the respondents in the survey admitted that they do not check the bills that they receive.
Previous research from the firm showed that 95 per cent of consumers in the UK feel that suppliers are taking advantage of them.
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