Britain's main energy suppliers will this week defend sharp increases in gas and electricity bills by claiming they are powerless against the soaring cost of natural gas and crude oil.

However, the bosses of the country's major electricity and gas companies are likely to face stiff questioning when they appear before a powerful parliamentary committee, amid fears they are ready to raise prices by a further 40 per cent in the coming months. This would follow price rises of around 15 per cent earlier this year. ... Read full article