₤420BN ENERGY GIANTS' PROFITS FROM OUR BILLS MISERY

Consumers are 'taken for fools'

- GRAHAM HISCOTT

ENERGY companies are taking consumers for fools by raking in a £420billion profit bonanza in the last four years, campaigners claim.

Just 20 companies have made a combined £420bn since 2020, according to the End Fuel Poverty Coalition campaign.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered a surge in wholesale energy prices, leading to fattened profits for energy firms but also raised bills.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: "The energy firms are taking us for April fools. These numbers may look like fantastic amounts to shareholders, but the reality is these profits have caused pain and suffering among people in fuel poverty."