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Experts from gas and electricity have left exaltation to despair in recent weeks, after that announcement of EDF Energy of a winter freeze prices was followed by an increase in energy prices in the State of the former British Gas provider 7pc. Scottish & Southern Energy also raised the price of gasoline by a huge 9pc. Rivals is supposed to follow suit, although none had to go to the press.

Picture is bleak for the average customer FLSA confirmed today that freezing the prices apply cheaper tariff of the web.Malgré plans of the EDF.

We already have a ￡ collective energy companies 1 billion, and this figure is likely to increase as the temperature drops.Regulator Ofgem figures this month above showed that means electricity consumers debt had jumped 15pc at ￡ 306 in the last year, whereas the typical gas debt has increased to ￡ 307.Le number of people who are heavily-indebted companies energy shot on foot too, with the number of people at least ￡ 600 debt until 39pc gas in the three first months of the year and 21pc in the second quarter. Energy companies have no justification for their price inflation workaround?

British Gas, says responds to rising costs of gas, which is more than 25pc since spring. He says he must also pay increased costs to maintain the network and to meet its environmental obligations."We know that the rise in the price of energy come at a difficult time for many people in the UK", said British Gas Managing Director Phil Bentley.Il takes for people to take advantage of the subsidized like the wall cavity insulation and energy efficient boiler energy efficiency measures. This year we have mounted boilers over 120,000 high performance energy and performed more than 270,000 loft and cavity wall installations in the homes of our customers. We offer free cavity wall insulation for our customers who are age 60 or more, which could save up to ￡ 110 annually.

That makes them sound as if British Gas insulating lofts goodness of his heart.It is not. It is worth recalling that energy companies are held by the Government to carry out these .British Gas energy saving measures, says that he went beyond the obligation on it, although it is difficult to quantify how much."We take very seriously our obligations and also go beyond their ', said a spokesman. Furthermore, the profitability of the company is hausse.Cette week Centrica owns British gas, said that it was on the road to 5.3 ￡ 2 operating income this year.

Scottish & S, the company has already raised prices, saw profits plunge by 6 1pc, partly because of the costs of energy wholesale.But enterprise has always pushed until its payment to shareholders by 6 7pc at 385 million from ￡ .Smith, President, Lord of Kelvin said: "financial goal key of SES is the dividend growth."

Energy experts are accusing the two companies dropping does not price when wholesale prices were weak, but their livestock disproportionate when they rise. ""Wholesale prices are about half of their Summit in 2008 and still in the same period prices customers were cut by less than 10pc," said Adam Scorer, consumer focus. "Consumers feel that suppliers do sections when conditions allowed, but it does cover their margins as prices move to the place." "At a time when reported an overabundance of gas, it seems that consumers take on all the risks in this market," he said.

Ann Robinson, Director of uSwitch, consumer policy said reduction of prices for consumers in the past years 8pc "failed miserably reverse the impact of increased 42pc or ￡ 381 in 2008." And now, whatever small benefit was seen was on the point of being wiped back again. "It will be cold comfort to British consumers who are now facing a bleak winter".

Andrew Horstead, analyst experts in energy Utilyx, called the "totally unjustified" British Gas 7pc pricesHe said that the UK gas market has been well provided and will continue to be the case for the coming months. "It's easy to pass on expenditures of domestic customers, who have no information at hand and do not know the ins and outs of the market", he said. He said that energy companies used small price on wholesale markets "as an excuse" to raise the price before winter. "It is not sufficiently justified, especially given the prospects for next year", he said. Mr. Horstead said "is not enough" regulator to help protect your customers against price increases. "What has he ever on this subject?", he said."It could be a bit more strict pricing."

OFGEM is still not entirely convinced that energy customers are treated fairly by the companies it regulates.He said there are two months investigating put selling to consumers by four large energy companies and he said that it will take strong action"if it was found that customers were disadvantaged.On price increases, however, the regulator has been less incisive.Still, he was warned that prices are likely to continue to increase because corporations to implement green and updates infrastructure one spokesperson said it was closely monitoring the current round of price increases."If we believe it is necessary to intervene in the future, we feel," he said.

There are still points on the question of whether competition works correctly in markets energy despite the regulator tent query forcing suppliers to bring some modifications.Le number of energy suppliers has dropped from 20 to six given that the market was privatised in the 1990s, and although regulator has tried to change the way in which other service providers operate (for example, recently requiring them to tell customers that prices are increased before it happens), there are always of questions for consumers.

Five million people annually, energy suppliers switch in response to price rises and they tend to end up on the cheapest online transactions, but it is always the same people who receive electricity less chère.La inert majority (more than half of consumers are looking because the market was opened in 1996) are still on transactions non-competitive that hundreds of pounds a month more than the average prices offered by industry .the table with article shows the cheapest deals with British Gas costs ￡ 200 per year less on average compared to its standard its older tariffs moyenne.Certains tariff are more expensive encore.Il is more details on how to pass discusses energy in action points right.

If the clients switch or not, it seems to be no escape from rising prices this winter, with more competitive rates for all consumers likely to be withdrawn or affected by an increase in the prix.Clients customers should go to the cheapest agreement and switch frequently to suppliers cannot continue to offer competitive rates for most of their clients.

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