SSE COMMITED TO HOLD PRICES

Scottish and Southern Energy plc ("SSE"), the UK's second largest energy supplier, has said that it will 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.

Household energy consumption is at its highest in the first quarter of the year, with the average household in Great Britain using around 40% of its annual gas consumption and around 30% of its annual electricity consumption in January, February and March.

SSE supplies energy as Southern Electric, SWALEC, Scottish Hydro Electric and Atlantic. Its 'fair pricing' policy is that it seeks to be the last, or one of the last, of the energy suppliers to increase prices if it has to and the first, or one of the first, to lower prices if it can. It is currently the cheapest energy supplier in the country*.

Alistair Phillips-Davies, Energy Supply Director of SSE, said: "We want to continue to stand between our customers and the worst effects of the sustained rise in wholesale energy prices and other upward pressures on domestic prices that are again being experienced. That's why we will not be putting up prices for our customers this winter, when they are having to use most energy. We're also working very hard to ensure that we can keep prices as low as possible for as long as possible."

* Comparing the six major energy suppliers in each electricity supply area for a dual fuel customer on the standard general domestic tariff consuming 20,500kWh of gas per annum, and 3,300kWh of electricity per annum and paying quarterly.

On this basis, a customer of SSE currently pays a total of £872 on average over a year for their electricity and gas. This was £40 less than a customer of British Gas; following today's price increase by British Gas this is now around £175 less than a customer of British Gas.