A pledge to freeze prices this winter doesn’t appear to have staunched the defection rate at power firm SSE plc (LON:SSE).
It lost around 130,000 energy customers between March and December, according to the latest figures and now 8.08mln accounts.
That slow decline hasn’t impaired its ability to hit City figures. Earnings per share will be in line with forecasts, while the dividend will keep pace with retail price inflation.
SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said conditions had been challenging with the focus internally on “operational efficiency, disciplined investment and maintaining a balanced range of energy businesses”.
"As we acknowledged in our interim results in November, the operating environment presents some challenges,” he added.
“The period since our interim results has featured volatile wholesale energy market conditions and, during November and December in particular, a period of relatively dry and still weather leading to low output of renewable energy.
“This did, however, allow good progress with our large construction projects. Political and regulatory scrutiny of the sector has also continued.”