Interim Management Statement
Scottish & Southern Energy PLC
31 January 2008
SCOTTISH AND SOUTHERN ENERGY PLC
INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
Scottish and Southern Energy plc ('SSE') is on course to deliver a good
financial and operational performance for 2007/08, with further growth in energy
customer numbers, another reduction in customer complaints and continuing
progress in its investment programme.
Operational update
In the nine months to 31 December 2007:
• the number of electricity, gas and telecoms customers increased by
650,000 to 8.4 million, making SSE the UK's second largest supplier of
electricity and gas;
• the number of customer complaints sent to energywatch for resolution was
495, a fall of 22% compared with the same nine months in 2006;
• gas-fired power stations achieved 94.6% of their maximum availability to
generate electricity, excluding planned outages; coal-fired stations
achieved 89.3%;
• the output from hydro electric schemes (excluding Foyers) and wind farms was
2,356GWh, a reduction of 10.5% compared with the same nine months in 2006;
• the number of units of electricity distributed was 30.9GWh, an increase of
0.6% compared with the same nine months in 2006;
• the average number of Customer Minutes Lost in Scottish Hydro Electric Power
Distribution was 47, a decrease of eight minutes compared with the same nine
months in 2006; in Southern Electric Power Distribution it was 49, a decrease
of six minutes;
• the amount of gas transported by Scotia Gas Networks, in which SSE has a 50%
stake, was 105,281GWh, an increase of 2.9% compared with the same nine months
in 2006; and
• the major investment projects have continued to make progress. The electricity
generation developments at Drumderg, Fiddler's Ferry, Ferrybridge, Glendoe and
Marchwood are all on course to be delivered on schedule. In line with the
interim results statement on 14 November, gas injection into the first three
caverns at the Aldbrough gas storage development is scheduled to commence in
the Spring of 2008 and the commissioning process to support this is now well
under way. These first three caverns are expected to be fully dewatered and
available for full commercial service in the autumn.
Key developments
Since the publication of its interim results, SSE has: secured consent to
develop a 40MW wind farm at Achany, near Lairg in Sutherland, and a 40MW wind
farm at Fairburn, near Dingwall in Ross-shire; supported the decision by Scotia
Gas Networks to accept Ofgem's final proposals for the gas distribution price
control for 2008-13; completed the acquisition of Slough Heat and Power Ltd for
£49.25m; and entered into the agreement to acquire Airtricity Holdings Limited
for an enterprise value of €1,455m. That acquisition is on course to be
completed by the end of February 2008.
In addition, Ministers have given consent to Barking Power Ltd, in which SSE has
a 30.4% stake, to construct a 400MW extension to its existing 1,000MW Combined
Cycle Gas Turbine power station at Dagenham.
On 18 January, SSE confirmed that it would keep its electricity and gas prices
for domestic customers at their current levels for the rest of this winter and
until at least the start of British Summer Time. Its fair pricing policy means
that it seeks to be the last, or one of the last, of the energy suppliers to
raise prices if it has to and the first, or one of the first, to lower prices if
it can. This fair pricing policy has supported ongoing growth in SSE's total
customer numbers, which reached 8.5 million earlier this month.
Financial outlook
SSE remains on course to deliver sustained real dividend growth in the years
ahead and, specifically, to deliver at least 4% annual real growth in respect of
2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10. More immediately, it is on course to deliver
financial results for 2007/08 as a whole which are in line with the current
consensus of brokers' forecasts. Net debt before the impact of the Airtricity
transaction is forecast to be lower than expected due to strong cash flow
generated from operations. SSE will publish its preliminary results for the year
to 31 March 2008 on 29 May 2008. In advance of that, SSE will provide an update
on its plans and activities in sustainable energy on 26 March.
Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of SSE, said:
'At the start of this financial year, we said that SSE's asset base was
expanding significantly through investment, and that the value created by this
would be complemented by value enhancement from operational excellence. We also
said that we would seek to create value for shareholders through acquisitions,
if they were compatible with our financial principles.
'We have made major progress in our operational and investment activity and the
forthcoming acquisition of Airtricity will also help to maintain our track
record of dividend growth in the next decade. Through operations, investment and
acquisitions in this financial year, the foundations for sustainable, long-term
progress and growth have been laid.'
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange