A survey conducted by price comparison website uSwitch.com has revealed the true extent of unused texts and minutes among mobile users.

The study found that nearly 18 million pay monthly mobile customers - a whopping 96 per cent of such users - are wasting money by not using all their inclusive texts, while 17 million (93 per cent) aren't making the most of their minutes.

Statistics showed just how far short of allowances mobile customers were falling, with 48 per cent using just half of their allotted minutes and texts each month.

The wastage is even worse for some, with a quarter admitting to using less than 20 per cent of their texts. Efforts to get a better value is deal often minimal, as 40 per cent of those on monthly contracts have never switched providers, with a similar amount saying they simply can't be bothered to switch.

Commenting on the research, uSwitch's technology expert Ernest Doku said, "Paying for minutes and texts that you don't use is like buying food you don't eat - it's a waste of money. Although some people might like the comfort blanket of having a higher allowance than they actually use, if you are regularly using far less than what you're paying for, effectively you are throwing money down the drain".