Having your monthly bills delivered to your home rather than paying them online could be costing you up to €400 per year.
Many companies charge as much as €40 just to post bills to householders, but offer discounts of up to 12 per cent to customers who are willing to receive and pay their bills online, thus avoiding any contact with a paid customer service representative.
Research commissioned by the Irish Independent newspaper shows that older people who might not be comfortable paying bills online are most likely to fall foul of the charges.
TV and broadband, banking and utility bills can all be cut by shopping around online.
