The results of measurements of electron temperature in the E-region by incoherent scatter radar and Langmuir probes are contradictory. To provide an additional empirical evidence a correlation is found between the collision frequency data obtained by the method of deviate absorption and F10.7 (for a height of 110 km) at noon. A remarkable agreement is found between these results and those obtained with the collision frequencies calculated from temperatures measured with probes on quiet days. We conclude that, contrary to what is usually assumed, electrons and neutrals are not in thermal equilibrium in the E-region, the quotient between the electron and neutral gas temperatures (Te/Tn) depends strongly on F10.7, and that there is a mechanism whereby electrons are heated, totally localized in the E-region.