British Gas owner Centrica today became the third UK energy supplier to raise prices this year, unveiling a 15 per cent price rise for 13 million customers.

The company said both gas and electricity bills would go up by the same amount with immediate effect across the UK, reflecting rising wholesale energy prices and increased energy distribution costs, as well as the expense of meeting new renewable energy targets.

British Gas claimed that its operating margins on gas had thinned to 1 per cent in the past six months, forcing it to take action on prices.

Phil Bentley, BG's managing director, said the group was unable to absorb the “burden” of 51 per cent and 61 per cent increases in wholesale gas and electricity costs.

“As the UK’s biggest buyer of gas, we want lower gas prices. However, lower availability of supplies from both the UK and the Continent, coupled with higher global oil prices, have forced up wholesale prices.

“We can’t absorb the burden of these higher energy prices and the costs of delivering a cleaner environment.”

The announcement is certain to provoke anger from consumer groups.

British Gas is set to announce its results on February 21 and is expected to report profits of around £800 million.

BG said 2.4 million customers on fixed-term tariffs would not be subject to the increase and added that it would delay the rise for 340,000 vulnerable and elderly customers until the spring.

The French utility EDF raised rates for its 5.5 million customers by at least 8 per cent earlier this week while npower, owned by Germany's RWE, increased prices for four million households by up to 17 per cent a fortnight ago.

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