Biggus,
Yes - and it was (at best) cheap and dishonest rabble rousing/playing to the gallery to suggest prices are where they are because of profiteering. The margins have stayed the same, return on capital has stayed the same and there have been umpteen investigations by Ofgem. Prices are rising as much as anything because of regulations brought in by previous governments – not least when Miliband was energy secretary; such as the carbon price floor and renewable policies. If Centrica etc cannot make any money supplying electricity to the retail market then they won’t supply it. The lights will go off, the economy will slow down. Miliband has torpedoed any chance of decent inward investment between now and 2015. And as for the share price - what about those millions of pensioners who depend on increasing returns from the utility companies?