British consumers have been left out of pocket after paying bills that were inaccurate and over-priced, according to a recent study.

Research carried out by Moneysupermarket.com has suggested that close to eight million people in the UK have been overcharged by one of their service providers since the beginning of this year.

For many families, unnecessarily large household bills have led to debt management and money problems and many remain unaware that they have overpaid.

"Consumers are already going through a hard time with rising living costs, it is about time suppliers started treating them fairly," said Rob Barnes, head of broadband and mobiles at Moneysupermarket.com.

Mr Barnes went on to urge all consumers to check their bills are accurate and particularly those who pay for various services via direct debit.

Money problems are forcing more and more British families to cut back on how much they spend each month, according to recent research by Mintel.