Around 82% of people in Northern Ireland do not know what energy tariff they are on, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

According to research conducted by the Trust, energy bills are the hardest bill for consumers to understand.

The study looked at the implications of rolling out 'smart meters' across the province, which could help householders keep tabs on their energy consumption.

While smart meters would allow a new level of two-way communication between energy companies and consumers, energy providers have yet to commit to visual displays as a preferred method of achieving this.

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According to the Trust, this leads to the possibility of inconsistent basic packages, with some households having visual displays alongside smart meters and some having to use other, none real-time alternatives.

Given the difficulty in understanding of energy bills uncovered by the research, the Energy Saving Trust said it believes that anything less than providing in-home visual displays, and of a minimum standard, would be a missed opportunity.

Noel Williams, of the Trust, said in-home displays should have minimum standards in order to ensure they are most effective for consumer use.

Prior studies have shown a link between immediate monitoring of consumption and consumer behaviour.

(PR/KMcA)