Half of UK customers (49 per cent) struggle to understand their water bill because of the jargon used, according to a survey by Aptumo.
The study, called The Secrets of Better Billing, showed that 14 per cent of billpayers thought water suppliers used confusing language and jargon and only 39 per cent thought their supplier tried to communicate in a clear, simple way.
Aptumo said brand perception could be damaged by this view because it leaves some customers “potentially feeling alienated” by their supplier. The survey suggested as many as 13.5 million households struggle to understand bills.
Elsewhere the report showed customers were keen to see how their money was spent, with 65 per cent of billpayers wanting to know what the company invested in.
Many said they would prefer their supplier to contact them more frequently, with annuals bills being replaced by regulator statements throughout the year. Quarterly was the most popular option.
However, despite wanting more contact, 52 per cent of billpayers admitted to not thoroughly reading their bills and 12 per cent to ignoring the bill completely.
The water sector is lagging behind energy providers for offering digital bills. The survey showed 55 per cent of water customers receive a paper bill; 25 per cent receive their bill via email and 20 per cent receive a digital bill through an online account.
For energy bills the figures are weighted towards digital with only 25 per cent of customers still receiving a paper bill; 38 per cent receiving email bills and 37 per cent accessing a digital bill through an online account.
Billing software business Echo Managed Survey’s software services director Andy Mack said: “It’s apparent that water companies still need to do more to improve their billing communication processes and shouldn’t assume that customers know or understand common billing and sector terms. Simplifying language or offering clear definitions, and a glossary detailing what each term means can go some way to making life easier for UK households.”
Problems with billing were the dominant source of complaints to the Consumer Council for Water in 2018/19.