An energy company whose customers were hit with bill hikes of 9% last month reported a 38% jump in half-year profits to nearly £400 million today.
SSE, which trades as Scottish Hydro, Southern Electric, and Swalec and is the UK's second-largest generator of electricity, also increased its dividend for shareholders by 5% to 25.2p a share.
But the company defended the increases and pointed out that its household energy supply business, which returned to the black over the period with profits of £48.7 million, accounted for 8% of total operating profits.
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