Consumers 'blame government for energy costs'
The government has been blamed by consumers in the UK for the rising cost of gas and electricity, according to a new study.
Research by Saga Home Insurance found that 46 per cent of people felt the move by successive governments to increase both fuel duty and VAT had a major influence on the prices, with 44 per cent claiming that energy suppliers were at fault.
Over 45 per cent of Londoners also felt that excessive consumption of energy was behind the increases, with people between 18 and 34 viewing society as "primarily responsible" for the costs.
Andrew Goodsell, chief executive of Saga, said: "Whatever the reason for rising energy prices, consumers face an expensive winter."
Last week, E.ON and Scottish and Southern Energy recently increased the cost of their gas and electricity.
British Gas and EDF Energy have also upped the price of their energy in the past month, with wholesale energy costs cited as the reason behind the moves.
© 2009 Adfero Ltd
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