British power supplier Scottish & Southern Energy –which owns Irish-based alternative energy company Airtricity - said today adjusted pretax profit rose 13.9 per cent to £1.23 billion in the year to end March, in line with expectations.
The company said in a statement it raised its full-year dividend 10 per cent to 60.5 pence a share, and it expected to continue a policy of dividend growth for the next decade.
"Delivering that dividend growth, delivering our investment programme and delivering excellent service to customers are our key priorities in 2008/09," Chairman Robert Smith said in a statement.
Shares in SSE, which supplies gas and electricity to customers in Scotland and the south of England, closed yesterday at 1,453 pence, valuing the company at £12.6 billion.
It said it had gained an extra 700,000 customers during the year, bringing its total to 8.45 million and making it the UK's second-largest supplier of electricity and gas.
It has also begun targeting the Irish market, buying wind company Airtricity in January for over €1 billion.