How to challenge an unfair energy bill as providers warned on soaring direct debits

ENERGY bill prices are at an all-time high and customers are having to fork out a lot more than before to meet the rising costs.

But what happens if the amount you're being charged is unfairly high? We reveal how you can challenge your bill.

It comes as some providers have been accused of hiking customers' direct debit payments by "more than is necessary".

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said yesterday on Twitter: "Some energy suppliers have been increasing direct debits beyond what is required."

He went on to explain that a new review will come into force, giving suppliers three weeks to address their increased rates, along with profits they may have made in the meantime.

Suppliers are allowed to increase customers' direct debits, but any rise should be in line with a household's usage.

You usually get 10 days' notice before your monthly direct debit goes up, too.

And the price cap in place to stop energy providers overcharging as well.

The price cap went up on April 1, adding £693 on average to about 18 million household's standard tariff bills.

But it might not be the only rise, as a further increase to the cap could come later in the year too, when energy bills could rise another £600.

With so much turmoil in the industry, a number of suppliers have collapsed, with more than 30 having gone bust in the past year alone.

When an energy supplier collapses, regulator Ofgem automatically assigns customers to a new provider.

As a result, many households who were appointed to a new energy provider have seen their bills go up, because the new supplier does not have to honour the deal they were on.

A number of technical problems and glitches in the switch mean that some customers have been charged incorrectly, while others report that their monthly direct debit has soared significantly more than the energy price cap increase.