Brits overpaying for services

Price-comparison site moneysupermarket.com has called on British people to make sure they check their bills to ensure they aren't being overcharged.

Research by the firm found that millions of us are being ripped off for services such as electricity, gas, water, telephone and broadband.

However, despite the fact that many of those surveyed had received incorrect bills, more than half didn't check every bill they received.

Moneysupermarket.com claims that eight million people in the UK were overcharged for something in the past three months and said that it was particularly important to check your bills if you opted to pay by Direct Debit.

Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said: "People should monitor every bill they receive – especially if they pay by Direct Debit. If payments are made automatically against incorrectly charged bills, suppliers are raking in millions of extra pounds."

The company's figures are based on a sample of 2,016 adults, 17 per cent of whom said they had received an incorrect bill in the last three months.

www.moneysupermarket.com