In those years EDF's electricity prices to customers went up by 7.5 %, 4.5 and 10.8% and 10.8%ely.
"EDF and Centrica are now just an offshoot of Decc – they are all so in bed with each other they are indistinguishable".
These derivative investments were essentially bets on the future share price of a host of western companies, such as financial firm Citigroup and the energy group EDF.
EDF's size and financial strength is all the greater because, with 85% of its shares held by the French government, it is immune to takeover.
France faced an EU investigation over subsidies to Electricité de France (EDF).
The energy companies, including Centrica, EDF and RWE npower, have also placed numerous staff into government departments on secondments, either funded by the taxpayer or provided for free.
Current government policy, developed by the Conservatives while in opposition, was heavily influenced by two of the big six, EDF and British Gas-owner Centrica, according to industry sources.
David Cameron had previously hailed the subsidy deal between the French state-owned EDF and the UK government as "a very big day for our country".
EDF had planned to sign a long-awaited funding agreement with its Chinese investment partners in March, thought to be key to settling procurement plans for the £24.5bn build, and the precursor to a final investment decision.
Commenting on EDF's price increase, he said: "Any price rise is disappointing but I'm encouraged that EDF have kept their price rise much closer to inflation than some of their competitors.
Ministers are also offering firm contracts from 2018 of up to 15 years for anyone offering to build new gas power plants but three years for some existing plants such as the EDF stations and only one-year deals for those offering demand reduction under an auction run by the National Grid.
