We all know the drill: check bills and statements, and read product disclosure statements (PDS) carefully. The catch is that so much of the financial paperwork we receive is packed with jargon and bogged down with figures that seem impossible to work out.
As a guide, my latest quarterly electricity bill (which was a shocker) featured 13 lines of charges including “peak”, “shoulder” and “off-peak” tariffs, monthly “home supply charges” and something called a “dedicated circuit consumption” fee thrown in for good measure.
Like many Australians, I ended up just paying the bill. Trying to fathom the numbers would mean burning more midnight oil, leading to another supersized bill next quarter.
Fortunately, there are ways to cut through the clutter - and the trick can be to focus on the danger areas where mistakes commonly occur.
Regular utility bills
When it comes to regular
