March 15, 2006	Wednesday	Safar 14, 1427

LONDON, March 14: British industry’s energy bills have soared more than 50 per cent under new supply contracts due to start next month, a leading energy broker said on Tuesday.

The increases reflect surging wholesale gas prices which touched new records on Tuesday as cold weather boosted demand and supplies were squeezed by an extended shutdown at the country’s biggest storage site.

“Contract prices in the April round are up by 55-63 per cent,” a research manager at London-based Utilyx told Reuters.