12 June 2006
A leading expert on the UK's energy industry is due to give a speech suggesting that high gas prices in the UK are not just the result of overseas pressure.
In the past, the lack of competition and dominance of certain companies on mainland Europe have been said to explain increasing energy bills in the UK.
But in a speech on Wednesday, Phil Wright from the University of Sheffield's Management School will argue that domestic gas companies are often behind price increases.
Professor Wright said: "It has been convenient for the government and the gas and electricity regulator Ofgem to blame other European countries for the behaviour of UK gas prices - when in fact the causes are more home-grown."
Earlier this year, the Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, currently supplies around a quarter of the European Union's (EU) gas, issued a warning that it would divert supplies away from Europe if the EU introduced measures to impede its growth.
A dispute between Russia and the Ukraine resulting in reduced levels of gas also suggested that Europe was becoming too dependent on Russia for its gas supplies.
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