Water complaints, Energy credits, Delivery charges

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Nearly half of the water companies in England and Wales are getting more complaints. That's according to the Consumer Council for Water. The watchdog says ten companies had more written complaints between 2015 and 2016 than in the previous year. It's the biggest increase in complaints since 2008. Most were about billing and charges. It follows a fall in the number of complaints over several years. What do the complaints tell us about the water industry and what changes are needed? You & Yours listeners have been telling us how some energy suppliers are allowing their accounts to accumulate huge credits. It happens when people over-pay on their regular direct debit, and don't notice the credit rising. Several have discovered a credit of £3,000 on their account, one told us of a 96-year-old relative whose credit had climbed to £6,000. Earlier this month we discovered that energy suppliers have been holding on to nearly £4 billion of customers' money on live energy accounts. Today the energy regulator, Ofgem, has issued new figures on how much companies are retaining in accounts that have been closed, after customers switched to another supplier or moved house. Should you pay more to have things delivered to your house, if you live at a remote address? The Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has spoken out after a woman was charged £50 to deliver a £6 pair of towels to her home in Speyside. A flat-rate ensures that everyone pays the same delivery charge, but it does mean people in urban areas, in effect subsidising the cost of delivery to remote addresses. An industry expert explains how online retailers are tackling this dilemma. Producer: Jonathan Hallewell Presenter: Winifred Robinson.