The findings of a new survey were released this month, digging into how consumers view and use energy.
It found that one in three wrongly believe that the price cap limits their total bill – which cements the energy miscommunication fears raised by many in the industry.
Uswitch, who shared the survey results, warn that this confusion is causing households to disengage with their energy usage, preventing many from actively managing their consumption.
Angus McCarey, Uswitch CEO, comments: “Households have a lot on their minds, from the mortgage to the insurance renewal to the school run, so we can’t expect them to spend hours deciphering their energy bill. The system that’s been built is hard to follow, and it’s the industry’s job to fix that, not the customer’s job to decode it.
“The good news is that people are ready to play their part. Six in 10 say it is realistic to change when they run their washing machine or dishwasher, and more than half would do it for a saving of £20 a month or less. The gap between that and what’s happening today is friction, and removing friction is the industry’s job.
“Households control how much energy they use, when they use it and which tariff they choose, so that is what their bill should reflect. Transitioning network costs and policy levies off bills and into general taxation would make bills simpler and easier for households to control.”
Followig knowledge that electricity demand is forecast to nearly double by 2035 and customer demand is rising ((for example, if every EV owner plugs-in and charges when they get home from work at 6pm, it will overwhelm the grid) – he urges the industry to focus their efforts on making the energy market simpler for households.
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