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| British Gas profits boosted by colder weather | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| British Gas has said its profits have risen because a colder 2012 meant people used more gas. | British Gas has said its profits have risen because a colder 2012 meant people used more gas. |
| It reported profits from residential energy supply of £606m for 2012, up 11% from the previous year. It said gas consumption had been up 12%. | It reported profits from residential energy supply of £606m for 2012, up 11% from the previous year. It said gas consumption had been up 12%. |
| Profits were up 16% to £312m at its residential services unit, which covers services such as repairing boilers. | Profits were up 16% to £312m at its residential services unit, which covers services such as repairing boilers. |
| Centrica, which owns British Gas, reported an adjusted operating profit of £2.7bn for 2012, up 14% from 2011. | Centrica, which owns British Gas, reported an adjusted operating profit of £2.7bn for 2012, up 14% from 2011. |
| Centrica chief executive Sam Laidlaw told the BBC that the firm's profit margins per household "actually went down", adding that the company had made just under £50 profit per customer household. | |
| "A 5% margin on the business is the sort of margin we require" to make investments in new sources of energy, he added. | |
| Centrica's dividends to shareholders have risen 6% and the company is also returning £500m to them. | |
| British Gas raised its gas and electricity prices by 6% in November, which Mr Laidlaw stressed was, "lower than any of our competitors". |