Energy bills seem to be all we're talking about at the moment as the cost of living crisis continues. We are all seeing our bills increase, we are all relying on Martin Lewis' top money-saving tips and we're all thinking of ways to cut back.
But do you know who actually owns the companies who you're coughing up the cash to as energy bills continue to rise? Well, if you want to know your SSE from your British Gas, we've put a list together to help you know who owns the companies and how they work.
After all, if your bills have pretty much doubled this month, you'll probably want to know who you're handing the money over to. Here's all you need to know.
British Gas
The company is one of the UK's biggest domestic energy suppliers, and it also runs the Sainsbury’s Energy brand. But British Gas is actually a subsidiary of Centrica, which was created after a demerger from British Gas plc way back in 1997.
Centrica is based in the UK and is also UK-owned.
EDF
EDF Energy is a subsidiary of the French Government-owned energy company EDF (Électricité de France) Group. As time has progressed, it has actually taken ownership of other UK energy companies like London Electricity, SWEB, Seeboard and British Energy.
The company was founded in 1946 before becoming a public company in 2004.
E.On
The German-owned group was responsible for developing the merger of German companies VEBA and VIAG. As far back as 2002, the group purchased UK energy company Powergen and then later in 2007 its UK energy operations were re-branded as E.ON.
Npower
Npower is another subsidiary. This time of German energy company RWE Group. It was initially purchased in 2002 having developed out of National Power, which was renamed Npower at a later date.
The company had bought brands such as Calortex, Independent Energy and Midlands Electricity following privatisation.
ScottishPower
The company is a subsidiary of Spanish company, Iberdrola, that took it over in 2006. It was actually formed in 1990 by the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
Later down the line it went onto buy Manweb, which is the energy company responsible for supplying Merseyside and North Wales.
SSE
SSE was initially known as Scottish and Southern Energy, and it was formed way back in 1998 when Scottish Hydro Electric and Southern Electric merged together. Then in 2000 it bought SWALEC, and it owns Atlantic and Airtricity in addition to this.
The company runs those brands as well as Scottish Hydro and Southern Electric as subsidiaries of the main SSE group.
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