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    British Gas Owner Reports 1% Rise In Profits

    Centrica, saw a 1% rise in operating profits last year to £2.41bn, but the British Gas arm saw earnings slide 30% to £522m.

    The energy giant blamed the mild spring and autumn weather for the slide in profits at British Gas for the year to 31 December.

    The UK's biggest gas supplier, which lost 97,000 customers in 2011, said the unusually warm weather led to a 21% drop in average household gas consumption, and a 4% fall in electricity.

    But Centrica's upstream gas and oil exploration business saw profits rise by 33% to £1bn.

    The drop in profits comes despite the energy supplier hiking gas and electricity bills by an average of 18% and 16% respectively in August last year.

    The firm has since announced a 5% cut in electricity prices in January.

    British Gas said the cut would reduce the average bill for its 5.3 million customers by £24.

    Chief executive Sam Laidlaw said: "2011 was a tough year, both for Centrica and our customers.

    "But the strength of our integrated business and balance sheet means we've been able to take the lead in helping customers through these difficult times, as well as delivering growth and making the investments on which Britain's energy future depends."

    Last year British Gas admitted losing 200,000 customers since it raised household energy bills in the summer and warned its profits would be hit by warm weather.

     

    3 comments

    • Richard  •  Chesham, England  •  3 months ago
      Odd that EDF, another cartel member, showed a massive rise in profits. Presumably their finance department was given different instructions!
    • fizz  •  3 months ago
      BRITISH GAS???? Surely you mean "Foreign gas". Do we still have any British owned utility companies?
    • super_slo_mo  •  3 months ago
      Why are they making farking profit? can someone tell me. They are suppossed to be reinvesting everything back into this gas shaite, hey?
      • CU812 3 months ago
        Because we had a mild winter their profits were down 33% or 550 million, this now gives them the right to say our profits were down from last year, we have less profit so now they have the right to RAISE there rates yet again..... To answer your question its called GREED and the whole Western world is full of people that want to make money of the backs of the 99% .... Funny how 1% of people can own the world.... lol....but when they DIE they can't take their blood money with them...