Thursday 26th of March 2009
Energy companies are charging customers who pay by direct debit unnecessarily high amounts, it has been discovered.
A survey by campaign group Which? revealed that a quarter of consumers with accounts in credit are owed more than £100, while eight per cent have paid over £200 more than necessary.
The body suggested that these payments are effectively "interest-free loans" for suppliers, something that could be harming the debt management efforts of consumers.
Which? called for energy firms to charge direct debit amounts that reflect usage accurately, after customer satisfaction for many was found to be low.
Editor of Which? Money Martyn Hocking stated: "It seems incredible that energy companies can take hundreds of pounds more than they need to from their customers and profit from the interest that this money will earn at our expense."
A recent study by moneysupermarket.com found that 36 per cent of people now have less money to set aside than they did two years ago, a fact it noted is an increasing worry as unemployment rises.
