Energy giant Eon has overtaken SSE in the big six league table to become the second largest domestic energy supplier in Britain.
Yesterday (8 August) the German-owned company announced it was the only large player in the UK with business to consumer (B2C) customer gains over last 12 months, with 50,000 more accounts than last year.
The supplier made €202 million (£181 million) in H1 from its UK customer business. This is a 12 per cent decrease from the previous year which saw profits of €230 million.
An Eon spokesperson said: “We’re always keen to offer a range of innovative tariffs and smart solutions that will help people so they want to join and stay with us.
“Just yesterday we launched secure bill, a new type of tariff which allows people to fix their total energy bill – not just their price – for a whole year, giving them complete reassurance over how much they’ll pay and the ability to budget better.
“This is just one of the many ways we’re helping customers to choose the best tariff option for them, alongside the many other solutions we have available – from smart meters which help customers gain greater visibility and control over their energy use, to long term financing options for people wanting to upgrade to an energy efficient boiler, to technologies like solar and storage which allow customers to generate, store and consume their own renewable power.”
Last month Eon revealed it was “seeking” to cut 500 jobs across its UK operations due to an “increasingly competitive environment”
Meanwhile SSE said it believes the planned merger with Npower, subject to approval from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will best enable it to respond and adapt to the changing competitive landscape.
An SSE spokesperson said: “SSE continues to operate in a highly competitive market with over 68 suppliers actively competing for customers and switching rates at a record high.
“We have been working hard to improve our products and services and believe our planned merger with Npower, subject to CMA approval, will best enable us to respond and adapt more effectively to the changing competitive landscape.
“By forming a focused, fully independent retail business which combines the resources and expertise of two established suppliers, the new company has the potential to be more agile, innovative and efficient to the benefit of customers and the wider market.”
British Gas is the largest energy provider.