Everyone seems to be complaining about the cost of domestic gas and electricity at the moment. Quite rightly so, as my monthly gas and electricity cost has increased by a whopping 325% in the last four months!

I fully understand that increases were introduced because of alleged fuel shortages caused by the conflict in Ukraine creating reduced supplies of Russian gas. Prices also rose because demand for energy rocketed after Covid restrictions lifted.

However, two things really annoy me about this:

1. The Government Energy Bills Support Scheme of £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain paid monthly from October 2022 to March 2023.

So, why does this annoy me? Because £67 per month for six months is a drop in the ocean compared with the overall increase in my fuels bills, which is £250 per month extra – over and above what I used to pay.

And, when this Support Scheme ends in March 2023, I – and thousands of other gas and electricity customers – will still be struggling having been cast an artificial lifeline to help pay their fuel bills only to have it taken away from them after six months leaving them to drown in a well of debt and rising bills.

2. The profits that energy companies are unashamedly bragging about.

Energy giants are making enormous profits as millions of households face a desperate winter and expensive year ahead.

British Gas’ operating profit for the first six months of 2022 was £522 million – and increase of £22 million compared to the same period of 2021.

Taking a look at my own energy supplier, E.ON, it’s net profit in 2021 was 5.31 billion euros. In comparison to the previous year, the company’s net income more than quadrupled!

So, if E.ON’s net income has quadruped, why has the cost to me nearly quadruped? It just doesn’t make sense to me.

E.ON is Germany’s biggest energy firm and has no long-term supply contracts directly with Russian producers. It buys some gas from Gazprom trading companies in Europe. So, again, why have costs to householders increased? E.ON can’t blame the conflict in Ukraine and Russia cutting supplies.

I may be looking at the whole picture in simple terms and not fully understanding the situation but, being experienced in trying to make the household budget balance every month, it seems to me that E.on and other energy companies could cut the price of gas and electricity to UK householders. At this time of economical strife, wouldn’t this be the ethical thing to do? The right thing to do? Charity begins at home thing to do? Although, it’s not charity, is it? It would be offering an energy service to consumers at a fair price, but still being able to make a profit – albeit a smaller one!

I would really appreciate it if any of the energy companies reading this could please explain this to me and, maybe whilst they are at it, come clean about what bonuses their executives are likely to receive this year?