If it wanted to boost its customer numbers Gloucester-headquartered energy supplier EDF has had its wish granted.

However, it is not likely to be revelling in the windfall as much as you might think, as the bounty comes at the expense of Toto Energy.

Brighton-based Toto Energy has ceased trading - with customers being transferred to French-owned EDF. It will be the second change for some of those customers in just a couple of months after they were also moved on in August when Solarplicity ceased to trade.

Perhaps they will feel better about the situation when they hear EDF's pledge to offer them a "competitive tariff", which might well see their bills reduce.

Apparently EDF, which is currently is currently building the UK's next generation of nuclear power plants, will also honour any outstanding credit balances and money owed to Toto customers.

Neither will those customers be charged any exit fees, should they decide to go elsewhere.

Toto is the sixteenth supplier to go out of business in the last 12 months, going bust just a day after Ofgem published new proposals aimed at protecting consumers from collapsing companies.

It is proposed that Ofgem have more rigorous powers to audit energy companies.