SSE has told shareholders it will continue to grow its dividend by at least the inflation rate, despite taking a £100m hit to profits next year from its industry-leading two-year price freeze.

Chairman Lord Smith told the utility's annual meeting in Perth that SSE's profits were used for the benefit of customers and communities, it had the best record on customer complaints and on the Living Wage, and aimed to be "responsible in everything we do".

But chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said cost-saving measures would help to pay for freezing gas and electricity prices until January 2016.