Inefficient and expensive energy firms will face legal action over their behaviour, the European Commission's competition office has warned.

The comments were part of a report into Europe's energy markets, which added that splitting supply, generation and distribution would boost competition.

"The Commission's tough proposals today are good news for Britain's energy consumers who, for too long, have paid the price for a lack of real competition in continental Europe," said Ofgem's chief executive Alistair Buchanan.

"And they're bad news for the dominant energy giants who must relinquish their stranglehold on their national energy markets and compete in the new European energy market," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6248227.stm

[Because more government always helps. Make it illegal and it goes away. The photocopy costs alone of so much gov't will eliminate any energy gains.]