LONDON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- British Gas, the nation's largest utility, plans big price hikes that will lift the average cost of home energy bills to $1,780 per year.
Natural gas and electric bills are set to rise in the next few weeks by as much as 25 percent, the Times of London reported Monday.
British Gas is sending notification letters to the company's 11 million customers within the next few weeks confirming details of the higher bills.
Consumer advocates are furious at British Gas.
"There is insufficient justification for such excessive price rises," said a spokeswoman for uSwitch, a consumer advocacy group. "We will be looking to (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) to step in and investigate the reasons for these increases and verify that they are legitimate."
