Britain’s energy market is not working

Sir, - I have recently arranged to change my energy supplier.

I realise that it is necessary to do this in order to get the best deal for myself and to make competition between suppliers work to reduce prices for everyone.

However, I do resent having to spend time doing this.

The end result might well be a reduction in the price that I pay for the next year but I fear that my reduction will be paid for by higher prices for those people who have not got the time or inclination to research prices for themselves.

It is unlikely that lower prices paid by me and others will result in reduced profits for the energy companies.

In theory, the policy of competition between suppliers was supposed to result in greater efficiency and lower prices for all.

Is it really efficient to have so many suppliers, each with their own administration and highly-paid executives?

In practice, the competition between suppliers is in how to fool customers into contracts that will ultimately result in them paying higher prices.

There is some evidence that our politicians realise that the market is not working.

If it were working there would be no need for regulators and the introduction of caps on prices.

Surely it is time to abandon the whole idea and return to a single supplier of each type of domestic fuel. Michael Vansittart. 6 The Cribbs, St Monans.

Electricity pylons carrying supplies from generators to consumers.