Money for nothing: Britons pay out £4.4bn a year in `idiot taxes`
Forgetful and careless acts like breaking a mobile phone or putting the wrong kind of fuel in a car cost Britons around £4.4 billion a year, according to new research.
A poll by MSN Money found the most common "idiot tax" is the cost of replacing a lost or damaged phone, with 26 per cent of adults having to pay a total of £2.4 billion for a new handset in the past year.
Elsewhere, while consumers are aware of late charges for making credit card repayments, they seem less on the ball when it comes to DVDs and books.
Some 20 per cent said they had incurred fines for returning these items late, with charges coming to £7.6 million in the past 12 months.
Another ten per cent of respondents said they had made the costly mistake of filling up their car with diesel instead of petrol.
It can cost up to £100 a time to remedy this error, leaving a £547 million hole in drivers' wallets over the past year.
MSN Money senior editor Simon Ward said people's hectic lives mean it is easy to make mistakes, lose belongings or miss payment deadlines.
"Ensuring we are keeping on top of basic costs and trying to keep a more watchful eye out is key to saving money in the long run," he added.
According to separate research from Confused.com, the average British household pays out £18,500 a year on bills.
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