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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Matthew Taylor

‘Privatisation premium’: billions from UK energy bills paid to shareholders

Electricity pylon cables stretch into early morning mist above Swanscombe, Kent.
The privatisation of the energy sector was a key plank of the Tory government in the 1980s and 90s. Photograph: Richard Baker /Alamy

A quarter of the average UK energy bill was funding corporate profits last year, according to analysis that reveals the hidden cost of privatising some of the UK’s key industries.

The study – part of a wider Who Owns Britain project by the Common Wealth thinktank – found that a sum equal to 24.2% of the average energy bill went to the pre-tax profits of the major electricity generators, networks and household suppliers in 2024.

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