Nearly four million UK customers have been overcharged by energy suppliers

ALMOST four million UK energy customers have been overcharged by their supplier due to billing errors in the last year, at a total of £270 million, a survey suggests.

Suppliers most commonly applied the wrong tariff or product details to an account – affecting 36% of overcharged customers, applied incorrect fees (31%), or set a charge based on a meter reading that differed from the one provided by the customer (27%), the poll for price comparison site uSwitch found.

Other errors – which left customers on average £72 out of pocket – included wrong direct debits, muddling bills up with someone else, charging twice for the same product and adding up totals incorrectly.

Some 14% of those who had been overcharged said a special offer or discount was not applied to their account.

Half (51%) waited more than a fortnight before the issue was resolved by the supplier, but almost one in 10 are still waiting, the poll found.

USwitch energy spokeswoman Claire Osborne said: “Consumers have a right to expect correct bills. It’s unacceptable in this day and age that customers are picking up the cost of suppliers’ mistakes.

“Households are already trying to cope with the high cost of energy and can’t afford the additional cost of simple blunders.

“Accurate bills are essential if consumers stand any hope of taking control of their energy use and spend. Recent upgrades by some suppliers to billing systems have resulted in teething problems, but today’s figures show there’s still more for the industry to do.

“We urge customers to always check their bills carefully, and speak immediately to their supplier if they think they have been short-changed.

“Consumers should also always provide up to date meter readings to avoid estimated bills, and check that the figure they provided has been used.”

Opinium surveyed 2,001 UK adults between between May 20-24.

Consumers urged to switch as millions ‘pay over the odds’ for energy