Britons miss out on £60m in compensation
Britons are missing out on more than £60 million in unclaimed compensation each year from energy and water companies, according to Disputer.com.
A study commissioned by the free complaints service found 69 per cent of Brits are unaware they can claim compensation from their suppliers when they fail to meet customer service standards.
Just two per cent of people questioned had requested compensation from a household utilities supplier following a breach of standards in the last 12 months - yet customers are entitled to £20 if their energy or water provider misses a scheduled appointment, a fact 89 per cent were unaware of.
Other reasons to claim £20 compensation include failure of your water supplier to respond to a written query about the correctness of an account and failure to inform you if an appointment is in the morning or afternoon.
The survey found 12 per cent of respondents would have made a claim last year if they had known the correct process, which suggests £60 million in compensation went unclaimed in the UK last year.
Inde Uppal, chief executive of Disputer, said: "Failing to complain has become something of a British pastime and when faced with substandard services or products we tend to just grin and bear it.
"More often than not, people are also unaware of their rights or simply don't have the time to deal with a complaint in the right way.
"Raising awareness of the fact that energy and water suppliers can be held accountable will not only help consumers gain some welcome compensation, but also kick-start suppliers into improving their customer service."
According to the study, women were less aware of their rights than men, with almost three quarters (72 per cent) revealing they had no idea about the consumer rights presented in the survey, compared to 65 per cent of men.
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