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    British Gas Owner Reports 1% Rise In Profits

    RELATED QUOTES

    SymbolPriceChange
    CNA.L312.001.40

    Centrica (LSE: CNA.L - news) , 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.

     

    23 comments

    • A Yahoo! User  •  2 months ago
      What would be really interesting is to see how much profit is being taken out of this country by now foreign owned companies that were previously pulicly owned, (gas, electric, water, airports?). We really are governed by a complete set of dishonest, lying numpties from all parties who are only in politics to put their snout in the trough.
      • John 2 months ago
        That's a great point and I also wonder how much tax they manage to avoid paying.............................
    • Eric  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
      richard dorkin is a Krank!
    • tony  •  London, England  •  2 months ago
      They make there profit by reduceing staff I see they have not told people about how many people made unemployed last year by greedy pigs any profit good in these hard times cut staff keep share holders fat
      • AL 2 months ago
        Nearly all energy companies laid off staff last yr when doorstep selling was stopped due to unscrupilous sales staff. It was in the media & not hidden
      • Lee 2 months ago
        AL, they've gotten rid of 850 call centre staff, and around 250 managers to try and make up a deficit of the profit some tossbag accountant predicted years ago. That's what you won't see in the news. BG are still earning profit, just not as much as they were predicted, so all the staff are now at risk of losing jobs to make up that profit, but those at the top are sat warm and comfy.
      • DAVID 2 months ago
        I worked for BG for over 30 years. In 1993 they got rid of all over aged 50 plus a host of others younger. This was done in a cruel way by overloading people with work until they could not cope. One manager said it was his job to p*** people off so that they left. Not a nice company now. Profit, profit and more profit is all they care about. Should be re nationalised. Before someone brings it up - yes, there were pay outs at the time, but only for the over 50s.....and they were not huge.
    • Lazarus  •  2 months ago
      Paracites taking locals money out the area like the supermarkets. MAKING YOUR AREA A GHOST TOWN AND ALL PROFITS GOING BACK TO THEIR VAULTS. HA HA HA. KEEP WATCHING THE TV ADVERTS BRAIN-DEAD IDIOTS.I ANT GOT A BRAIN I NEED TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE. DOO
      • Darren W 2 months ago
        I can tell you don't have a brain.
    • Ark Royal R09  •  2 months ago
      British (it`s not British) Gas have more excuses than those people at Nuremburg in 1945.
    • Daz  •  Manchester, England  •  2 months ago
      anybody who fails to laugh at this , seriously has no sense of humour
    • JAMES  •  Plymouth, England  •  2 months ago
      since going on line and checking my gas bill, i have found that my account is over 300 pounds in profit...did I get a rebate? NO.... they,ve reduced my monthly payments !!
      • KF 2 months ago
        well James stop the direct payments until you catch up,they only get my money after I get the bill no direct debit for me.
      • AL 2 months ago
        Is it actual credit afta a recent bill?? Have you contacted them to request refund? I'm guessing NO cause then you would have nowt to whine about on here. It's boneheads like you that made me get out of the industry
      • liam 2 months ago
        Yeh dude, you can just request what you're in credit by back no problem. I did it online and it was in the bank 2 days after.
    • nailed  •  2 months ago
      liars! Lets see what they pay to their executives (who probably dont pay any local tax)
      • Darren W 2 months ago
        Local tax? you mean council tax? I am willing to bet all their executives pay council tax.

        You douche bag!
    • robert l  •  Watford, England  •  2 months ago
      pigs and troughs comes to mind
    • ian  •  2 months ago
      This is the way it goes.
      Energy prices are high so customers become more efficient.
      They use less energy
      Energy companies profits fall
      So increase in energy prices.
      Back to status quo
    • JOHN  •  2 months ago
      no doubt more jobs will go as a result
    • Phil R  •  Durham, England  •  2 months ago
      I feel bad for them, how are they ever going to get by on £522M?
    • BARRY  •  2 months ago
      As an old age pensioner I have to use my bus pass to ride up and down on the buses just to keep warm.
    • pm  •  St Helens, England  •  2 months ago
      No shit. Funny that as Cameron comes out against people saying big business is socially irresponsible. One of our previously publicly owned company's announces they managed to fleece the general public by an extra 1%.
    • Neville S  •  2 months ago
      1% rise in profits is good enough as they are only a service industry once owned by the British Taxpayers
    • yahoo  •  Nottingham, England  •  2 months ago
      IM NOT SURPISED ABOUT BRITISH GAS WHO PROFITS BECAUSE THEY ARE ROBBER AND OVERCHARGED OAP AND DISABLED WHO CANT READING THEIR OWN GAS METER BRITISH GAS ARE RIPPED OFF LIKE ANIMALS
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Runcorn, England  •  2 months ago
      IF YOU SEE SID...STAB HIM!
    • Deborah  •  Reading, England  •  2 months ago
      Loss in profits, might have something to do with people keeping their heating off to the last possible minute...or not putting it on at all....I left my heating off untill I had no other option and the extra layers weren't doing the trick and then i put the heating on...and then I put on the heater on in the living room one at the bottom of the stairs and one upstairs in the landing,,,,the kids have got two quilts on their beds and they were going to bed with the PJs socks slippers jumpers and dressing gowns as I can't afford to heat the house...the living room is warm, and the downstairs and upstairs landing the heaters just keep the chill out. My mate and her son sleep in the living room in the winter as she can't afford to heat the rest of the house......people are are feeling the pinch, and they can't afford to heat their homes....
    • gene  •  Cardiff, Wales  •  2 months ago
      Not Sup-prizing the Prices they Charge.
    • Etinspace  •  Brighton, England  •  2 months ago
      Mild weather ? the coldest Winter in 30 years ! a Summer that never reached 25º . 90,000 loss of customers for different reasons explains better.