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At a time when household budgets are being squeezed more than ever, the last thing Brits need is to be landed with an incorrect bill. However, in the last three months over eight million people have been overcharged.

A billing study by moneysupermarket.com revealed 17 per cent of adult Brits have found a mistake in their bill in the last quarter, and over a third (34 per cent) in the last year. Despite supplier inadequacies, half of those surveyed (50 per cent) said they still don't check every bill they receive.

Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said: "Worryingly, there are millions of people who still don't check their bills, meaning they could be paying over the odds for a service they have never received. If you don't check all your bills you're leaving yourselves open to being taken advantage of."

Direct debit encourages non-checking

The research also showed direct debit is the most popular way to pay gas (48 per cent), mobile (34 per cent), landline (63 per cent), electricity (54 per cent) and credit card (25 per cent) bills.

However, with millions of unchecked and incorrect invoices landing in Britain's letterboxes, consumers could be throwing away hundreds of pounds as direct debit payments are made automatically without question.

Of those who don't use direct debit to pay for some or all of their bills, their main reason for choosing alternative methods of payment is to monitor how much they're paying each month, with women (42%) keeping a closer eye on their payments than men (33%).

A third (33 per cent) feel direct debits reduce their control on their finances. A wary one in 10 (11 per cent) do not trust their supplier enough to take the correct amount.

Barnes added: "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."

Also, anyone who doesn't pay by direct debit should check whether they would be hit with extra charges as some suppliers, such as BT and Virgin** (see below), charge for not paying by direct debit. Consumers are already going through a hard time with rising living costs, it's about time suppliers started treating them fairly.

** Currently, Virgin Media charges £5 per month and BT £4.50 for quarterly bills and £1.50 for monthly invoices.

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