Those without the internet pay more for goods and services

Research from the Keep me Posted campaign, of which we are a member, has found that households that do not use the internet pay an average of £440 more a year for their goods and services, than those who are online. This equates to 5.4% of the average household income for people aged over 65 and the most vulnerable people in society.

Households that cannot take advantage of lower energy and telecoms tariffs for switching to online-only services miss out on a potential annual saving of £139.

Eighty-three percent of the population now use the internet, but there still seven million people in the UK who have never used the internet; this includes an estimated five million people who are elderly or vulnerable.

Judith Donovan CBE, chair of the Keep Me Posted campaign said: "The digital divide remains a big problem. A significant number of people have never, and probably will never, access the internet. Yet, this is where the impact on household budgets is the greatest.

"The Keep Me Posted campaign is calling on service providers to give their customers the choice of receiving their bills and statements on paper at no extra charge."