EDF makes £801m in UK as energy bills soar

EDF made profits of £801million from its UK operations last year as bills soared four times faster than inflation, leading to claims it was ‘recession-proof’. The figure is the equivalent of £220 for every one of the 3.7million homes supplied by the French-owned energy giant. It hiked family tariffs by an inflation-busting 10.8 per cent in December, taking the average annual bill to £1,251 a year and plunging millions into misery just as winter hit. But this was due to a £190million financial hit it took on one of its gas fired power stations at Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire. Without this, profits would have hit £1billion, the group said. Adam Scorer from Consumer Focus said: ‘The energy industry does seems virtually recession-proof, which is very different to the experience of most consumers who’ve seen prices rise and incomes fall over recent years.’