British Gas resumes shareholder payout as bills rise

British Gas owner Centrica has resumed payouts to shareholders as UK households come under pressure from rising energy bills.

The company said it was paying an interim dividend of 1p per share, after having suspended it for three years.

UK energy bills are expected to rise again in the coming months, with one consultancy warning they could hit £3,850 a year by January.

The announcement of a resumption in dividends came as Centrica reported soaring profits for the first half of the year.

Adjusted operating profit for the six months ending in June rose to £1.34bn from £262m a year earlier.

Boss Chris O'Shea said that the results came against the backdrop of "the most challenging energy crisis in living memory".

He added: "We are very aware of the difficult environment many customers are facing and we will continue supporting them."