'Pickpocket' foreign fuel giants 'ripping off' Britons to keep energy bills down in Europe

Foreign energy firms have been accused of 'picking the pockets' of 11 million British customers while capping price rises in their home countries.

French-owned EDF has announced a 22 per cent rise in gas bills and 17 per cent on electricity for its 5.5million UK users.

At the same time, it has secretly raised gas prices for some of its most vulnerable customers by as much as 75 per cent.

The increases are in stark contrast to the situation in France.

EDF has been told by the government there to cap its increases on electricity to just 2 per cent and gas to 5 per cent.

There are fears the company, which is part-owned by the French government, is looking to protect its profits by imposing punishing increases on UK families.

The price cap in France will not stop EDF imposing big rises in the cost of electricity it sells to Britain via a cable under the Channel.

The increases were strongly criticised yesterday by Ed Mayo, chief of the National Consumer Council.

'Closed and protectionist European energy markets end up picking the pockets of consumers in this country,' he said.

He suggested Britain should consider introducing French-style price caps. 'If the French are capping prices, that is something we should be looking at. We should learn from the French,' he said.

'My concerns are for people on fixed income, such as pensioners, who will be switching off their electricity and heating this winter. That will lead to more illness and disease.'

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