They do not run the welfare system: that is the Government's responsibility. I hope windfall taxes aren't mentioned otherwise this will be another company thinking of emigrating. At least pension funds will benefit - better than unfunded state scemes which future generations have to pick up.

William, London,

Nationalise all the "Utility Co's", i.e. "Winston Churchill to the EU"! Charity begins @ "Home", if the "Proverb's are still in the "Curriculum?"

Paul, Newtown, Powys, UK

On the other hand, all of you people with private sector pensions will welcome the dividend payments into your funds and all of you people with public sector pensions will welcome the taxable profit.

Dr Robert Laundon, London, UK

"Come on guys, how can British Gas, an energy/gas provider, justify making the same amount of profit as Apple?

Daniel, London, "

The difference Daniel is i don't need an iPod to cook or keep warm. And how can you switch if they all raise their prices?

Anthony, Brum,

If you don't like the price that Centrica charges for gas then buy it from someone else. There's plenty of competition and plenty of gas.

Anyone paying the world market price of gas plus its transportation and storage costs gets as much gas as they like.

They just have to earn the money !

Pedro, Stratford,

None of this is surprising, British Gas' primary legal responsibility is to make money for their shareholders.

I just wish they'd stop expressing their 'sincere regret' and admit that their customers are a distant second in their priorities.

Owen, London, UK

Doesn't the article say that most of it's profits came from their Services arm, and that profits from supplying customers with Gas plunged 69% ?

I think readers should analyse these results more carefully before sounding off, and calling for re-nationalisation.

David Farrell, Hertford,

We have become a nation of sheep and allowed ourselves to bullied lied to,overcharged and taxed almost to death by a government with no sense of its self and greedy foreign owned companies. Time to wake up and fast.

Julie, Rochester, England

There is not enough competition in Energy Supply. Costs are being absorbed in all other areas of our economy as companies struggle to mainatain sales. It would be great if we could all just increase our prices in line with costs. Six suppliers in energy; we need more choice or greater regulation

Ralph, London, England

Lets remember that it was the Conservatives who sold off public ownership of our electricity, gas and water providers and so created companies (some now foreign owned) which make profits from our basic needs.
I will vote for any party with a manifesto to re-nationalise essential services.

Alan Organ, Coventry, England

How long are we the British public going to allow ourselves to be ripped off!! £1Bn of a profit and they claim they need to increase bills to cover investment?! Petrol prices these last months, we are being completely screwed!! Why is value of Oil determined by grossly overpaid SPECULATORS ?!?!

John, Greenock, UK

I'm sick of this!

Why arn't you reporting of how much more the goverment has made since the rise in energy prices?

Everytime oil goes up, the goverment makes more money from it's 60% tax on it?

We cant stop a private company but we can stop our goverment from exploitation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andrew Towell, Hartlepool, England, UK

What?! Oil price is coming down, bills going up 44%, profits soar?!

Can we please renationalise these robbing energy companies?

Vincent, London, UK

Obscene. They should be taxed to hell and back on their windfall profits. They are laughing at their customers, the taxpayer and the Government. And I suppose the fat cats at the top will also take away big (undeserved) bonuses again at the end of the year?

Stephen Edwards, Wokingham, UK

obscene

Stephen Edwards, Wokingham, UK

Wind farms anyone?

Farrukh, Woking,

There is a very serious imbalance here when profits are large and price rises are steep. It seems like robbing the individual (poor) to pay the shareholders (rich). Maybe it is about time that morals appeared on the balance sheet.

Mike, Newbury, UK

This announcement just rubs salt in the wound for consumers.
I predict that some people will by pass their electricity meters.
Our pathetic Government need to take action against this sharp practice.

Stephen Holmes, Withington , UK

Centrica, British Gas and the Energy Minister argue that the company needs to make profits in order to invest.

Isn't it time that someone suggested that almost £1 billion of profit made prior to the latest 35% increase in the price of gas is sufficient for them to be able to do so?

Robert, Hull, UK

The government are not doing anything about it because they are raking in huge tax revenues on gas and oil.

Louis, Baton Rouge, USA

This is an immoral situation, and reflects the true cost of the privatisation era. Nationalisation beckons - at least the profits would improve the national finances!

John, Colchester,

Daylight robbery!

john, shrewsbury, uk

"We are being held to ransom and the Government does nothing about it".

Jane, London

Yes but just wait until the Tories get in! They will sort out the fat cats and make sure the average person gets a better dea.....or maybe not.

Joe, London, UK

The Government is to blame for this.Taxes deterred more North Sea drilling,no new nuclear power stations have been built.The much vaunted wind turbines are years away.Planning for gas storage facilities have not been given,so Britain sells gas to Europe cheap in the summer,they sell it us back dear

Peter, Manchester, England

Many of the governemtn MPs and ministers will become executive and non-executive directors of these companies in due course. It's not in their interests to look after the man in the street.

Dave, Liverpool, England (but wish it was elsewhere)

I suggest the brits place the blame on their government. How much tax do you have on one liter of petrol??

Matt, Houston, USA

Presumably Centrica will be using their windfall profits to invest in new gasfields etc rather than loading the dividend paid to shareholders at the expense of the customers.

Bring back the days of state owned British Gas!

Stuart Hawkesworth, Leeds,

Apple Computer, high flying tech company with profits from around the world, earned £1 Billion in the last 2 quarters (Q3 $1.07 billion + Q2 $948 million and factor in foreign exchange). Come on guys, how can British Gas, an energy/gas provider, justify making the same amount of profit as Apple?

Daniel, London,

is this government ever going to intervene or are they happy for the population to be ripped off?

Mike, Sole Street, England

Simple - re-nationalise.
Such utter greed at the expense of the poorest is despicable.

Amy, Penzance,

Everyday that passes leaves me more exasperated with our current government, I blame 'New Labour' for the fact that people I know, who are able to, have either left this country or plan to in the near future, they, like me, feel betrayed.We are ripped off, in a lawless society that doesn't care.

jack , portsmouth, hampshire

Essential services are ripping this country apart and Mr Brown does nothing.

Mike, Sole Street, England

I believe that the time has come for 16 million customers to say no to British Gas and move to another supplier. If the British public would just wake up and shake themselves out of the apathetic state they've sunk into, we could send a very loud message out to these cynical fatcats,NO MORE RIP OFFS

Mick, Romsey,

So at what stage does rofit become theft?

Keith, Newcastle, England

If this government is to regain any credibility it must hit Centrica - and the other utility companies - with an immediate windfall tac charge. Longer term energy sources need to be renationalised; private firms can't be trusted.

Duncan, Glasgow,

If the cost of oil comes down, surely the cost of gas should come down!

David Kinsley, Derby, UK

Sir, These greedy goons will force nationalisation of the industry. What steps have they taken to address the lack of fuels? Any? If not, why are they allowed to remain in control, and get fat? Remember this is only the latest in a string of massive rises.

Roger Pearse, Ipswich,

One word for these large gas and oil companies: Greed!

Sarah, Toronto, Canada

It's unacceptable to be raking in such huge profits while millions are to put into fuel poverty with the latest ridiculous price hike. This is why energy should never have been privatised without far more strict controls to ensure the public doesn't get fleeced in favour of fat cat shareholders.

Carole, Portsmouth, UK

We are being held to ransom and the Government does nothing about it.

Jane, London,