It is because the market was opened up to competition after years of inefficiency and price-rigging.

BBC: Q&A: British Energy's crisis

The FSA has identified price-rigging dating back to 2005, yet some current and former traders say that problems go back much further than that.

ECONOMIST: The LIBOR scandal: The rotten heart of finance | The

Price-rigging is probably often more imagined than real.

ECONOMIST: Inflation in China: An old worry nags again | The

When the US Department of Justice sued Apple and five major book publishers over alleged e-book price rigging, it immediately became clear that a few of these companies would do just about anything to avoid trial.

ENGADGET: States reach $69 million settlement with three publishers in e-book price fixing case