Paper checks remain the dominant method for paying consumer bills and are also extensively used in retail and business-to-business payments.

CNN: House panel explores electronic billing

Energy Secretary Ed Davey said households will be given personalised information from their supplier on their bills about the cheapest tariff the supplier offers for their payment method and the cheapest tariff overall.

BBC: Ed Davey announces 'four core tariff' plan

However, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say they have found a method of recovering oil after a spill using magnets, potentially saving companies like BP money in clean up bills.

CNN: Cleaning up oil spills with magnets and nanotechnology