A billing study by moneysupermarket.com has revealed that over a third of Brits received an incorrect household bill in the last year.

Despite supplier inadequacies, half of those surveyed said they still don’t check every bill they receive.

Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said: “The staggering amount of people who’ve been hit with an incorrect bill only goes to show how inadequate some providers can be. Consumers are already facing increased living costs, the last thing they need is to be charged for something they never had.

“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.”

The research also showed Direct Debit is the most popular way to pay gas (48%), mobile (34%), landline (63%), electricity (54%) and credit card (25%) 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 feel Direct Debits reduce their control on their finances. A wary one in 10 do not trust their supplier enough to take the correct amount.