6 June 2005
UK electricity and gas bills are primed to rise as energy prices reach a record high.
The energy information consultancy (EIC) has forecast that household electricity bills could rise by around 20 per cent over the next year.
There are also fears that industrial competitiveness could be badly effected by rising costs. Andy Waring, the energy purchasing manager at UK chemical producer Ineos Chlor, voiced these fears.
He said: "You can't pass on these energy costs to our customers - they will just buy their goods from French and German companies instead.
"If British firms continue to have the highest energy bills in the European Union, British industry's competitiveness and employment will suffer."
Find the cheapest gas and electricity suppliers and save up to £170 a year at uSwitch.com.