Do you really understand your utility bills? If the answer is yes, then you could be in the minority.
Energy regulator Ofgem is worried that many consumers are failing to get the best deal because they are befuddled by the jargon used by gas and electricity companies.
A committee of MPs is therefore testing the "energy literacy" of gas and electricity bill payers as part of an inquiry to see if more education is needed to improve competition and make it easier for people to switch tariffs.
The energy literacy investigation will study whether people know how much the cost of energy changes according to usage and how this is displayed on a bill.
Why is energy literacy an issue?
The number of different energy tariffs on the market has ballooned to more than 400 in recent years.
What's more, the structure of the charges, and the eventual price you pay, can vary depending on factors such as how you pay, whether you are on an internet-only tariff and which part of the country you live in.
There are also signs that energy company sales forces often convince confused consumers to switch to new deals that will in fact cost them hundreds of pounds more a year.
An undercover investigation by consumer champion Which? found that, despite quoting annual savings of between £20 and £142, the deals offered by salespeople based in supermarkets and shopping centres would actually have left customers between £39 and £311 worse off.
The pressure group also claims to have evidence that those calling energy firms for advice do not always get accurate information and quotes.
No wonder Ofgem has slammed the domestic energy market for being based on "complex tariffs, poor supplier behaviour and a lack of transparency".
You can use our comparison service to find the cheapest supplier and make sure you get any available discounts.
What's going to change?
Ofgem wants to stop the confusion by making suppliers offer one standard tariff for each of the various payment methods - cheque, direct debit and pre-payment meter - and each energy type.
If it gets its way, there will therefore be just six standard tariffs per supplier - three for gas, three for electricity - although companies would still be able to offer as many sophisticated deals, such as dual-fuel tariffs, as they wanted.
Bill formats are also set to change, with Ofgem calling for them to display charges in the form of pounds or pence per month, as well as per kilowatt hour.
This should help to prevent people being confused by the jargon used at the moment (see below).
The regulator hopes the new regime will be in place by the last quarter of this year, although it admits it will need industry support to meet this deadline.
How do I complain?
If you have a complaint on any aspect of the service you are receiving from your gas or electricity supplier, the first step is to contact the company direct.
Complaints procedures vary, so you should check your recent bills or the company website to find out whether to complain in writing or over the telephone.
Your chances of success will improve if you mark the top of any letters or emails with the word "Complaint". Postal correspondence should be sent recorded delivery so that you know the company has received it.
If you lodge your complaint by phone, you should have all the necessary information - including your customer reference number and details of when and how the problem occurred - to hand.
It is also worth logging the name of the person you deal with and the time and date of the call in case you need to escalate your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman at a later date.
This is only an option once you have given your supplier at least eight weeks to respond and have followed its complaints procedure through to the logical conclusion.
If you are still unhappy with the outcome, or have yet to receive an initial response after eight weeks have elapsed, the Ombudsman can investigate the case on your behalf. Visit its website for more details.
You can also get further advice from Consumer Direct, a government-funded service that offers specific information on complaining to energy providers as well as templates for complaint letters.
Energy bill jargon buster
kWh: This stands for kilowatt hours, which is currently the standard energy bill measurement used to show how much gas or electricity you have used during a certain time.
Calorific value: This is the quality of the gas you receive. In other words, it demonstrates the amount of energy created by burning the gas.
Primary/secondary units: Energy companies charge more for so-called primary units of gas and electricity. Cheaper secondary units come into play when the primary units are used up.
mpan: This stands for your unique, 21-digit electricity "meter point administration number".
mprn: This abbreviation refers to your unique gas meter number, which remains the same irrespective of your supplier.
Please note: Any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing. Click on a highlighted product and apply direct.
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