Reasons cited by the "big six" in the UK are rising wholesale energy costs, a decrease in domestic production, increased transportation costs and government charges (including energy efficiency and social schemes).

They've all been quite controversial in the UK, as these companies are also reporting an increase in profit.

British Gas: 16 November, Gas and electricity up 6%

Britain’s North Sea gas supplies are running out, and British Gas has to pay the going rate for gas in a competitive global marketplace. Furthermore, the investment needed to maintain and upgrade the national grid to deliver energy to our customers’ homes, and the costs of the Government’s policies for a clean, energy efficient Britain are all going up.

http://www.centrica.com/index.asp?pageid=29&newsid=2588

Scottish Power: 3 December, gas and electricity up 7%

Scottish Power blamed its rise on increased costs, especially for transporting gas and electricity to customers' homes and the cost of energy efficiency programmes

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/oct/15/scottish-power-raises-gas-electricity-prices

The company said it had to increase prices for customers because the cost of transporting gas and electricity to customers' homes, and of energy efficiency programmes, had risen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19952457

EDF: 7 December, gas and electricity up 10.8%

The company blamed the cost of wholesale energy and government charges including mandatory energy efficiency and social schemes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20093259

SSE: 15 October, gas and electricity up 9%

Unfortunately, sustained increases in the cost of using the electricity and gas networks, the costs of mandatory government-sponsored schemes that are passed on to customers and the price SSE has paid for energy in the wholesale markets for this coming winter now need to be reflected in household gas and electricity prices

http://www.sse.com/PressReleases/2012/EnergyPricesOct2012/

Npower: 26 November, Gas up 8.8%, electricity up 9.1%

Paul Massara, chief commercial officer, cited the cost of new statutory schemes, increases in distribution charges and the price of gas for the coming winter as driving factors for the increase"

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/04dfebd6-147f-11e2-8cf2-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2AgQrIetO

E.On: No price rise before the end of 2012

Price increase data from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20093259

@wgto

Yep, it is always minus to live in developing country.

(c) Guy sitting in central heated home

@wgto

It depends how to define such countries. But otherwise it is just my humour.