Here we go for Reuters Africa last wednesday,

* Economic slowdown to add to oversupply as demand sinks
    * Low wholesale prices to force suppliers to cut bills
    * Plants may use running hours in 2012 ahead of carbon
tax

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So, the big six have now all lowered power retail prices.

('Big Six' energy suppliers:EDF Energy, RWE npower, E.ON,Scottish Power, Centrica and SSE,to lower retail tariffs)

Looks to me a rather fair deal for now but doesn't give much information on how thehell the french get prices to go up (4.4% it seems on January 1st 2012), donot havea decent regulatory body which explains I guess a price hike when wholesale prices come under pressure.  An additional 3,355 MW of new power

production capacity will enter the United Kingdom market in 2012, do u have 

the number for France? If not, can the lack of a decent regulatory body making impossible to know precisely the number and capacity of power plants phasing out in 2012 helped the industry to rise the prices when everybody else are lowering retail prices the wholesale prices coming under pressure?

What have u got ?