Operating a profiteering cartel is a criminal offence. So if 6,000 die from fuel poverty each year, will manslaughter charges be next?

Fee, KJ and Chris wonder what will happen next to the "Big 6" energy firms...

SOURCE TELEGRAPH: Energy row erupts as winter deaths spiral 29% to four year high of 31,000
Office of National Statistics figures revealed "excess winter deaths" rose 29% in 2012-2013 to their highest level for four years. Mortality always rises in winter, but one in five of these deaths are because people cannot afford to heat their homes. Campaigners said Ministers talking about cutting green levies should be "ashamed" at the figure, which is worse than Sweden and Finland. 


SOURCE DAILY MAIL: Big Six energy firms face full-scale probe as watchdog finds profits QUADRUPLED to more than £1billion in three years
The Big Six energy companies face a full-scale competition investigation amid widespread public distrust of the industry, soaring profits and evidence of possible ‘tacit’ coordination. Months of building distrust and debate around the energy market came to a head this morning as the regulator Ofgem announced the market will face a full investigation. The investigation would be the first full-scale competition probe into the energy market and would see the UK’s biggest suppliers come under an unprecedented level of scrutiny, with the threat of being broken up. Despite the rising profits, the damning report from the regulator said there was ‘no clear evidence of suppliers becoming more efficient in reducing their own costs’ and that further evidence would be required ‘to determine whether firms have had the opportunity to earn excess profits’.

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