Hope members and mods don't mind - posted copy of letter for the press for next week's weeklys.

Dear Editor

I refer to last week’s shocking revelation that the six biggest UK Energy providers saw their profit margins soar by 733 per cent in a 4 month period.

In the wake of these immense rises, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne attended a summit with representatives from the power firms and the regulator Ofgem, in an attempt to douse the flames of public anger that ensued.

It would appear that this has become an annual event every time the temperatures start to drop with the onset of winter. The energy giants announce record profits followed by the same, seemingly hollow rhetoric from the powerless Ofgem, which in my personal opinion is more akin to a “Toothless Tiger” than an effective regulator.

I believe that it is a national scandal that so many of our citizens who rely on a measly state pension will be forced to make a choice between hot meals or heating their homes this winter. Perhaps the Chief Executives of the energy giants should visit some of our hard-pressed pensioners. They continue to ignore our politicians and regulator’s call for restraint in hiking prices but, a sense of shame may persuade them to cut profit margins and pass the proceeds on to the consumer.

Yours faithfully
Ken Glass