As a bonus it provides work for someone to come round and read the meter,....
The pay rate for this outsourced job is usually less than the minimum wage (whatever is it is called now) and the energy companies would rather estimate your usage so it is normally above what you normally pay, AND they do not create an invoice so they do not pay HMRC VAT until a later date, so keeping the difference in their bank.
Cynical, moi!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
