Npower unveils 'simpler' energy billsOther suppliers should follow suit, says Which?
03 February 2010
Gas and electricity supplier Npower is to make its energy bills easier to understand, after action by Which?
The changes include an explanation of how the energy bill has been calculated, along with a jargon-buster clarifying terms such as 'calorific value' and 'correction factor.'
Npower's bills are the first to receive the Plain English Campaign’s Crystal Mark for clarity for its information page.
You can see how energy suppliers including Npower, British Gas and EDF are rated for customer satisfaction and ease of understanding bills in the Which? Switch satisfaction survey.
Simpler energy bills
In November 2009, Which? commissioned the Plain English Campaign (PEC) to assess direct debit bills from the main energy suppliers to see if they met its criteria for 'plain English'- that a bill can be understood and acted upon the first time it is read.
Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith says: 'Which? has complained for years that many consumers are left scratching their heads trying to work out how their energy bill was calculated. We’re delighted that Npower has responded to our concerns by making its bills much clearer, and we want other energy suppliers to follow suit.
'Npower did come last in our most recent Which? Switch satisfaction survey, but hopefully communicating in plain English is just the first of many steps it will now take towards putting customers first.'
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