Energy bills 'rose by 12% in UK'

09/02/2009

Brits were hit by an average 12 per cent increase in energy costs over the past year.

New data from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that gas and electricity prices dropped in other European nations at the same time.

French customers paid 6.5 per cent less for their energy across the year, while prices went down by 0.8 per cent in Germany.

Spain saw the biggest drop of all: 7.2 per cent.

UK firms imposed two separate sets of double-digit price rises over 2008, with British Gas imposing a 35 per cent hike on gas plans in July.

Market price highs for crude oil and natural gas were blamed for these increases.

The OECD report follows news from two of the "big six" energy providers in the UK that they will cut customer bills in 2009, however.
British Gas and Scottish & Southern Energy announced price reductions of up to ten per cent, saying that falling market prices for gas and electricity had allowed them to make the cuts.

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