Germans 得る，とらえる Innogy for £5.2bn

By ROBERT LEA
Updated: 00:00 BST, 22 March 2002

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LONDONERS are to be 砲撃するd with marketing 提案s to bundle their electricity, gas and water 法案s into one multi-公共事業（料金）／有用性 一括 after a 取引，協定 that sees 主要な energy provider npower 効果的に 合併するing with Thames Water.

Innogy, the parent company behind npower, fell into the 手渡すs of RWE in a £5.2bn 引き継ぎ／買収 that 示すs the 最新の step in the German 力／強力にする 巨大（な）'s 計画（する）s to become a major European and international mu lti-公共事業（料金）／有用性.

After its £ 4.3bn 引き継ぎ／買収 of Thames Water 18 months ago, RWE now 支配（する）／統制するs Britain's 主要な water company, the country's biggest electricity 供給者 and its largest gas 供給者 behind former 明言する／公表する monopoly British Gas.

While Swindon-based Innogy will remain operationally separate from Thames Water, Innogy 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある Brian Count will work closely with his 相当するもの at Thames, 法案 Alexander, to blitz the market.

Thames has three million 顧客s and the npower brand, strong in the Midlands and the North, has up to only 10% 侵入／浸透 or at most 300,000 顧客s in the Thames 地域. Count said: '明確に there are 適切な時期s for us here. 公共事業（料金）／有用性 bundling and making life easier for the 顧客 has always been our 見通し.'

Today's 取引，協定 sees RWE spending £3.1bn in cash to acquire Innogy's 在庫／株 at 275p a 株 and taking on £2.1bn of 負債 racked up by Innogy in its 拡大 of its npower brand.

Although the 取引，協定 示すs another 行う／開催する／段階 in the capitulation of the British electricity 産業 into foreign 手渡すs - E.On is すぐに to の近くに on its £10bn 引き継ぎ／買収 of Powergen - Innogy's bosses said the 取引，協定 is good for 株主s. At 275p a 株, it 示すs a total 株主 return of 73% 含むing （株主への）配当 支払い（額）s since Innogy's demerger from the old 国家の 力／強力にする 18 months ago and has been struck at a 31% 賞与金 to the 株 price last month when news broke of RWE's 初期の 企て，努力，提案.

Under the 条件 of the 協定, Innogy 株主s, however, will not be receiving their final （株主への）配当 for the 財政上の year ending on 31 March. Innogy chairman Ross Sayers, who will be leaving the company, said: '株主s will receive 十分な value and Innogy staff will 利益 from 存在 part of a much larger international group.' Like Count, he is in line for 株 and 選択 windfalls 価値（がある） more than £1m.