" A small price to pay" to help our European friends engage in the latest GB sell out of the nations assets. The regulators will not allow mergers of our co's beyond a certain limit, but it is fine for mainland co's to gobble up the resulting fragments in the name of "European integration".

D.L. Stephens, York, England

As the UK arm of state-run French power giant, does anyone know if EDF raised its electricity prices in France? Or are British customers underwriting French consumers?

Tim , London,

When is someone in the UK going to question EDF as to why they are not increasing their prices in France by similar percentages?
UK customers subsidising french customers?
The UK selling our future major electricity producing industry to EDF - madness!

John Henderson, Castelnau de Levis, France

Disgraceful.

The price of oil is $2 down on the day and nearly $25 down from its peak. The energy companies should be reducing their prices, not raising them

geoff, Cardiff, uk

Wake up Britain, in not too many years the lights in this country will begin to go out if we do not build new power generation soon, our system is old and we are becoming far too dependent on imported gas etc.. The French have looked ahead as demonstrated in the comment by Andy above.

Dave, Winchester,

It should come as no surprise that EDF will take over British Energy, Gordon Brown's brother Andrrew has been working for the company since September 2004.

What was the point of privatising our energy market, for it to fall into French state control?

Edna Burbridge, Engreve, France

I have just emailed EDF asking for a price comparison between their charges for French and UK domestic users. One or two comments I read suggested it might be a good idea. They say they will reply in ten days, perhaps a Times enquiry might get a speedier reply?

V. Glover, Penzance, UK

Electricity in France costs 0.04 Euros per unit (Kwh) But ours is over 80% Nuclear.

Andy, Correze, France

This country puts Billions of pounds more into the European coffers than it receive. So why is the price of gas more expensive than the other countries in Europe?
We have under Labour, become the mugs of this organisation.

A Walton, Leicester, England

So the government permits even more concentration of an already overconcentrated industry by flogging BE to EDF. For starters supply must be split from generation asap and then the existing EDF portfolio of generation forcibly divested. Then we might have a market.

Richard, Newton Abbot,

These are the theives our government have just sold our nuclear industry to. The road to hell is clearly paved with Browns intentions. EDF should now stand for Expect Dire Finances

Tim, Dundee, Scotland

The competition that we have in the UK energy market is a joke! We have an oligopoly where if one hikes prices so do all the others. What's the point in the regulator advising the public to shop around when there is so little real price difference between the suppliers?

Alistair, London,

Where else do you think they are going to get the money to buy British Energy? I know EDF is a mainly French state owned company, but surely you don't think the French taxpayers should have to pay to buy up Britain, when they can get the stupid British to pay on their behalf?

Bruce, London,

How does the cost of the EDF supply here in UK compare with the charges it makes in France. As it is majority French government owned, does this make a difference. We need some transparency.

ADAMS, BUCKHURST HILL, uk

20% increase.
Easy, we have sold our businesses to foreign companies who are milking us.

EDF, is short for Electricité De France - in effect a branch of the French government, who bought our previously British owned company.
Please check, how much does EDF charge their French customers ?

paul epps, twickenham, england

Legalised theft.

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

Given the recent drop in oil prices this is unacceptable and if Gordon Brown wants to show us he is listening he will immediately prohibit this increase otherwise, let us do what the French would do and bring EDF's UK operations to a complete halt.

A.Williams, Cradley Heath,

In the last week or so gas prices have fallen from $13.50 to $9.30 for a million Btu. This is equivalent to a fall from about 75p per therm to less than 50p a therm or about 1.6p per KwH.

When did the utility companies last reduce their prices by a third when the wholesale price has fallen?

Bob Y, Cardiff, GB