§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the average rise in the price of electricity between February 1974 and June 1979; what were the price increases since June 1979; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryFrom the first quarter of 1974 to the second quarter of 1979, domestic electricity prices increased by 171 per cent., and industrial prices by 131 per cent. The average annual increase over this period was therefore 21 per cent. for domestic customers and 17 per cent., for industrial customers. The equivalent average annual increases since the second quarter of 1979 have been 8 per cent. for domestic customers (for the period up to the fourth quarter 1989) and 7 per cent. for industrial customers (for the period up to the third quarter of 1989).