Bill jargon ‘confusing’ debtors

The way energy suppliers are phrasing their outgoing bills is proving hard for consumers to understand, a new survey has found – suggesting that those in debt could find themselves in further trouble as a result.

Which?’s Switch satisfaction study revealed that approximately a quarter of respondents found it a struggle to comprehend how much they owe energy providers, an issue Martyn Hocking – editor of the consumer champion’s magazine – put down to terms such as “calorific value” being used.

He said: “Consumers aren’t going to be able to reduce their energy use or find the best deal if they don’t understand what’s going on,” adding that bills must be clarified and improved customer service “wouldn’t go amiss either”.

Earlier this month, it was suggested by Gareth Kloet of Confused.com that borrowers might benefit from choosing to pay their bills by direct debit instead of cheque or cash in a bid to save some money each month.

By Sarah Adie