Cash-strapped households could see energy bill price hikes due to recent spikes in wholesale gas and electricity prices.

Get a taste of some of the interesting and quirky happenings in Europe from our Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill.

E.ON has been told to pay £7 million to the UK's Carbon Trust for its “unacceptable” failure to supply enough advanced meters to business customers, British regulator Ofgem has revealed.

Germany’s oldest nuclear reactor shuts

The launch of a new battery for homes that can store solar power for use in the evenings is “another nail in the coffin of conventional utilities”, it has been claimed.

EU policymakers yesterday unveiled plans to ensure the free flow of gas and power to every corner of the 28-member bloc, hailing it as the biggest energy shake-up for more than half a century.

Scottish Power is to cut domestic gas prices by 4.8%, the Big Six energy supplier announced today.

Irish-founded wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has assembled a €60m warchest, much of which will come from the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

Energy supplier E.ON is to pay a record £12m to vulnerable customers in the UK after an investigation found it broke energy sales rules over a three-year period.

German gas, electric and water utility giant E.ON said its net profit fell 22% in the second quarter as it faced weak demand for power in Europe and increased competition from subsidised renewable energy.

Today is the last day that companies can submit bids to buy the retail and power generation unit of the semi-State gas company Bord Gáis.

Bord Gáis will issue an information memorandum to potential bidders for its retail division, Bord Gáis Energy, by the end of this month, with the sale of the unit expected to be completed later this year.

Bord Gáis will issue an information memorandum to potential bidders for its retail division, Bord Gáis Energy, by the end of this month, with the sale of the unit expected to be completed later this year.

German electricity and gas supplier E.On has lowered its earnings forecast for next year because of economic uncertainties and changes in the energy industry.

An Irish company that had signed up to a deal with ESB in 2010 to develop 50 megawatts of geothermal electricity in Ireland has abandoned its plans — and the country — because the Government has not yet legislated to support the clean energy technology.

Sweden raised the security alert for its nuclear power plants today after explosives were found on a truck at the south-western atomic power station Ringhals.

Work has begun on the building of what is expected to become the world’s largest consented windfarm, to be located in the Thames Estuary in England.

Lower electricity and gas bills helped drag the overall rate of inflation in Britain to a 15-month low last month, official figures showed today.

Bord Gáis says it can save €120m in start-up costs if it is given the task of establishing the proposed national Irish Water utility — expected to serve more than 1.5m customers by 2014.

UK inflation matched its record high last month, official figures revealed today, hitting the British government with a hefty bill for increased state benefits and highlighting the tough conditions faced by households.

Inflation in the UK is expected to hit a three-year high today.

The rate of inflation continued to climb last month, official figures revealed today, as utility bill hikes hit a two-year high and clothing costs saw their biggest increase on record.

American utility PPL snapped up its second major UK electricity network today after striking a deal worth £3.5bn (€4.1bn) with Germany’s E.ON.

Energy giant E.ON is to close a call centre in Britain with the loss of up to 600 jobs and cut up to 200 other posts in moves to “streamline” its customer service operations, it announced today.

The Football Association has confirmed energy giant E.ON will not be renewing its sponsorship deal with the FA Cup at the end of this season.

EUROPEAN UNION authorities, which recently imposed hefty fines on chipmaker Intel and utilities E.ON and GDF Suez, intend to increase pressure on these sectors, the EU’s antitrust chief said yesterday.

Four eco activists have been arrested in the UK today after they managed to enter the site of a power station as part of a mass day of action in a week-long climate change protest, police said.

THERE is uncertainty over the future of about 180 jobs at the ESB, with the company reaching agreement over the sale of two of its electricity generating power stations.

The bosses of the UK’s six biggest energy firms face a grilling from MPs today as they seek to defend the price hikes imposed on millions of households across the country.

Authorities sealed off a nuclear plant in Sweden after a welder arrived for work with a plastic bag containing traces of an explosive substance, police and plant officials said.

Millions of households faced further pain today after British Gas owner Centrica signalled it may have to make another hike in energy prices.

German utility giant E.ON has struck a deal with French state-run nuclear company Areva and electronics firm Siemens to build new nuclear plants in the UK, it announced today.

German utility E.ON today signalled it could join the race for up-for-sale nuclear power group British Energy.

Nuclear power station operator British Energy was today said to be weighing up an £11bn (€13.7bn) takeover approach from German utility business RWE.

Fans of Barnsley and the three other teams competing in this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals will have their support recorded to see if they can beat a noise record.

More customers face higher fuel bills today as energy provider E.ON has become the latest firm to unveil inflation-busting price rises for gas and electricity customers.

UK homeowners received a much-needed boost today after Bank of England policymakers cut interest rates for the second time in three months.

The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON is as follows:

THE Irish stock exchange clawed back some of its losses this year with a 3.75% rise yesterday as markets across Europe reacted positively to the US Federal Reserve’s shock cut in interest rates.

Wearing warm clothes around the house rather than turning up the central heating can save over €230 a year on bills, according to a new report released in the UK today.

Credit checking company Experian led a downturn for the London market today as it warned of the impact of tough conditions in UK and US financial markets.

Proposals to revolutionise Europe’s energy market, cutting the price of electricity and gas and creating an EU-wide network, have been unveiled by the European Commission.