Gas and electric bills rising twice as fast in Britain as in Europe

Energy bills are rising more than twice as fast in the UK as in neighbouring nations, it emerged yesterday.

The figures raise fresh questions about foreign firms 'picking the pocket' of UK consumers.

Gas and electricity prices in Britain have risen by 29.7 per cent in the past year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development revealed.

This compares with the European average of 14 per cent and just 8.1 per cent in Portugal.

The OECD, made up of the world's 30 richest nations, is one of the most prestigious economic bodies in the world.

It found that Norway is the only other developed nation facing higher price rises than Britain.

Ed Mayo, chief executive officer of the new super-watchdog Consumer Focus said: 'The UK energy consumer is being clobbered faster and harder than those in Europe.

'Other countries may be doing more to keep their prices down and we should learn from them.

'The UK has a relatively free market, but the freedom to cut prices in the early years seems now to be the freedom to raise prices with impunity.

'Of course, those least able to afford it suffer most.'

Earlier this year MPs revealed the massive increases are down to European power monopolies refusing to sell our own gas back to us and effectively holding the UK to ransom.


Britain is no longer self-sufficient in gas from the North Sea and has become reliant on imports during the winter.

Foreign power firms are buying cheap British gas in the summer, storing it, then refusing to pipe it back when it is needed in the winter, effectively rationing supplies and pushing up prices.

The UK is vulnerable because it only has enough storage to supply the country with gas for 13 days, compared with 99 days in Germany and 122 in France.

Britain is also more reliant on the gas market, unlike France which obtains 37 per cent of energy from nuclear power. continues here

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