Have you ever had to deal with an incorrect bill from your broadband, gas, electricity or water supplier etc? If so then you're not alone. A new study reveals that 17% of the British population (8m people) have been overcharged by their provider at least once during the past 3 months, increasing to 34% over 12 months.

The study, which was conducted by moneysupermarket.com with 2,016 adults, warns that many consumers fail to check their bills and thus mistakes often go unnoticed. The research also showed direct debit is the most popular way to pay gas (48%), mobile (34%), landline (63%), electricity (54%) and credit card (25%) bills.

However, with millions of unchecked and incorrect invoices landing in Britain's letterboxes, consumers could be throwing away hundreds of pounds as direct debit payments are made automatically without question.

Of those who don’t use direct debit to pay for some or all of their bills, their main reason for choosing alternative methods of payment is to monitor how much they’re paying each month, with women (42%) keeping a closer eye on their payments than men (33%).

A third (33 per cent) feel direct debits reduce their control on their finances. A wary one in 10 (11 per cent) do not trust their supplier enough to take the correct amount.