SSE redesigned its energy bill in February in a bid to end customer confusion. The new design was a result of a year-long research project with, amongst others, consumers, Citizens Advice and the Design Council.
The design has separated important information into three clear bubbles which show an amount for electricity, then gas and a total. The bills also outline how customers could pay less, their tariff name and comparison boxes for previous gas and electricity usage.
A spokesman for The Campaign for Plain English, which lobbies for clearer energy bills for consumers, said: “We applaud SSE for a fine example of clear commercial communication.
“The bill gives the reader all the information they need in a simple, easy-to-read format. The bill is one of the better examples we’ve seen and we would definitely encourage other energy companies to use the bill as a template.”
SSE group managing director Will Morris said: “Bills are the number one reason for complaints and not just because of disagreements over the bill size; in many cases the complaint is simply a result of not understanding the bill or not being able to find the information needed.
“We believe we’ve been successful in producing something which achieves this – giving customers the information they need in a simple and engaging way.”
Regulator Ofgem and consumer group Which? have demanded clearer energy bills for consumers since 2010, due to the amount of information and confusing technical jargon often included.
Read Utility Week’s analysis, ‘Customer bills: cutting through the jargon’ here