The firm gave a trading update ahead of a close period before it reports its results in May. In it, SSE estimated that its domestic customers had used 7 per cent less electricity and 19 per cent less gas. Weather adjusted for both fuels, that came to a reduction 4 per cent overall, said the company.
Based on those estimates, a typical domestic dual fuel customer would have paid £1,118 excluding VAT compared with £1,137 the previous year, according to SSE.
The company also gave a project update. Repairs at the 100MW Glendoe hydro electric scheme are progressing, although not as fast as SSE thought they would last autumn (see this link).
SSE said reservoir re-filling was likely to start in the next couple of months and generation should resume in the summer. If so, the station will return to service three years after an internal rock fall blocked one of the water-carrying tunnels (see this link).
SSE’s wind generation capacity is also set to increase substantially over the summer, with 576MW in large onshore schemes alone set to complete. SSE said Clyde onshore windfarm (350MW) should be finished in the next few months; the 156MW Griffin onshore windfarm has been completed; the 70MW Gordonbush scheme should be completed shortly.
Offshore, SSE said the 367MW Walney scheme, in which it owns a 25.1 stake, will be completed in the next few months.
SSE said all 140 of the turbines had been installed at the 500MW Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, 125 of which have exported electricity. SSE said commissioning should be completed by the year end. The firm, along with windfarm co-owner RWE, has initiated a formal contractual claim against principal contractor Fluor over the quality of the upper and lower parts of 52 foundations. The £300million dispute is subject to a formal arbitration process.
SSE will publish its full financial results for the year on 16 May. Ahead of that, the company will find out how big a fine it faces for mis-selling on 4 May (see this link).
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