About SSE
SSE are an energy firm based in Perth, Scotland. Officially started in 1998, a merger between Scottish Hydro Electric and Southern Electric forged what we now know as SSE.
SSE acquired Airtricity in 2008, a wind farm business based in Ireland. This doubled their renewables capacity, becoming the largest UK operator. Today, SSE remain as the UK’s largest generator of renewable energy,
Along with their subsidiaries: SSE Atlantic, SSE Scottish Hydro, SSE Southern Electric and SSE SWALEC, SSE is part of the OVO family.
SSE currently supply energy to over 9 million UK customers and have a staff force of 12,000 employees.
Who Are SSE Owned By?
In 2019, SSE sold their household energy and services business to OVO Energy. SSE kept their business energy customers. SSE agreed to transfer all of their domestic customers to OVO Energy, with roughly 3.5 million homes seeing their gas and electricity supply migrated from SSE to OVO.
OVO hope to change the traditional energy hierarchy in the UK, aiming to become part of the ‘big six’ energy companies.
Are SSE and OVO the Same Company?
SSE was recently purchased by OVO Energy. That means both the staff and customers of SSE will move to OVO Energy.
If you’re currently with OVO Energy, you should note there will be no changes to your current plan or service. If you’re currently with SSE, the same applies, you won’t see any changes to your plans, unless OVO Energy gets in touch.
What does SSE Stand For?
SSE stands for Scottish and Southern Energy plc. This name comes from the merger between Scottish Hydro-Electric and Southern Electric.
What Is the SSE Telephone Number?
SSE Customer Service contact number:
0345 026 2658
Where Is the SSE Head Office?
SSE Head Office is located in Perth, Scotland. The address for the head office is:
Inveralmond House
200 Dunkeld Road
Perth PH1 3AQ
VAT number: GB 553 7696 03
Switchboard: 01738 456 000
Is SSE Scottish Power?
Scottish Power and SSE are two different companies, both in the energy sector. SSE was formed in 1998 after a merger between two of the previously privatised Scottish electricity companies.
How Do I View My SSE Bills?
- Log in to your online account
- Select ‘View bills and payments’ on the account you want to see
- Click ‘Download bill’ for a PDF version of your bill
- If you want to see older bills, press ‘Show more bills’
There will be up to two years of your bills saved online. This starts from the date you registered with SSE for an online account.
How Do I Complain To SSE?
First, try using the SSE contact directions:
Phone number: 0800 027 0072
Email: customerservice@sse.com
Website Contact Form: https://sse.co.uk/forms/general-enquiry
If your complaint has not been resolved via the first method, get in touch with the SSE Specialist Complaints Team. They aim to resolve the matter within five working days and you can contact them via:
Phone number: 0345 070 9383 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)
Email: homeservicescomplaints@sse.com.
Written address:
Home Services
PO Box 7612
Perth
PH2 1FZ
Find out more information here: https://sse.co.uk/help/home-services/making-a-complaint
SSE Prices and Tariffs
SSE was the last company form the big six energy providers to announce a price drop in September 2020. This was for their standard variable tariffs based on the reduction from the energy price cap.
SSE customers on standard variable tariffs have seen a 7% price reduction since October 2020, equal to a price drop of around £83.
The current products SSE offer are:
- Fix and Control — Fixed-price energy for 2 years. Guarantees there will be no price rise for 24 months. This plan includes a smart meter and smart home package. It also features Google Nest thermostats. There is an early exit fee of £75 per fuel.
- 2-year fix tariff — Fixed energy prices for 24 months. Smart meter included with no extra cost. There is also a no early exit fee.
- 1-year fix tariff — Fixed energy prices for 12 months. A smart meter is also included, with free installation. Again, no early exit fee.
- Standard tariff — This is a variable rate, meaning the prices per unit of energy can change, increasing and decreasing. No early exit fee.
| Tariff name | Unit rate (per kWh) | Daily standing charge | Monthly cost | Annual cost |
| SSE 1 Year Fix | Gas: 3.54p Electricity: 17.37p | Gas: 27.35p Electricity: 23.71p | £92.88 | £1,114.60 |
| SSE 2 Year Fix v2 | Gas: 3.36p Electricity: 16.51p | Gas: 27.35p Electricity: 23.71p | £89.02 | £1,068.21 |
| SSE Fix and Control | Gas: 3.61p Electricity: 37.41p | Gas: 17.60p Electricity: 32.44p | £99.79 | £1,197.42 |
| SSE Evergreen Standard Variable | Gas: 3.61p Electricity: 17.60p | Gas: 27.35p Electricity: 23.71p | £94.07 | £1,128.86 |
| SSE Standard Variable PAYG | Gas: 3.539p Electricity: 17.409p | Gas: 36.33p Electricity: 28.28p | £97.11 | £1,165.29 |
Information correct as of May 2020.
Green Performance
SSE is aiming to have an important role in the UK’s attempt to become net-zero by 2050. They have recently put in place 4 goals to target by 2030:
- SSE want to reduce the carbon intensity of electricity generated by 60% by 2030. This is in comparison to 2018 levels, targeting around 120gCO2/kWh.
- Building and developing more renewable energy, with the ambition of contributing a renewable output of 30TWh a year by 2030.
- SSE is aiming to build a flexible electricity network and infrastructure, hoping to assist in the production of 10m EVs (electric vehicles) in GB by 2030.
- SSE want to become the leading company in the UK and Ireland for raising awareness for Fair Tax and also a real Living Wage.
As you can see from the graph below, SSE is currently above the average for the UK in terms of environmental impact.
| Environmental impact | Electricity supplied by SSE | Average for the UK |
| High-level radioactive waste g/kWh | 0.0000 | 0.0012 |
| Carbon Dioxide emissions g/kWh | 178 | 198 |
Supply Source
In the UK, all energy suppliers use a range of different mixes for their energy sources when generating electricity. It is a legal requirement for energy companies to disclose the information of their mixes of fuel sources. Below is a diagram of SSE’s fuel mix for 2019/20.
| Electricity supplied has been sourced from the following fuels | Electricity supplied by SSE % of total | Average for The UK (for comparison) % of total |
| Coal | 0.0% | 3.9% |
| Natural Gas | 48.1% | 39.4% |
| Nuclear | 0.0% | 16.6% |
| Renewable | 51.9% | 37.9% |
| Other | 0.0% | 2.2% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
Awards
In 2020, SSE won 5 Uswitch Energy Awards. Uswitch is a popular comparison service, giving customers confidence when researching energy companies. Uswitch is accredited by Ofgem under their Confidence Code.
The awards for 2020 are as follows:
- Best Customer Service
- Best Online Experience
- Best Billing Services
- Best Meter Reading Services
- Best Smart Meter Experience
Cancellation Policy
SSE have a free cooling-off period if you want to cancel your current domestic contract. This cooling-off period lasts 14 days once you’ve signed up, you will need to notify SSE of your desire to cancel the contract. This does not apply to commercial contracts.
Some tariffs with SSE may have exit fees, so be careful and double-check the terms and conditions before you end your contract and switch. Also, be mindful to check your bills before cancelling, this ensures you don’t have any outstanding balances before cancellation.
Reviews
According to Uswitch, SSE was rated three stars out of five by customers. This was part of the 2020 Uswitch customer satisfaction survey. They own one of the better records for resolving complaints in the energy market, resolving 74% of all claims within 2 days.
SSE Contacts
| Phone number (customer service) | 0800 027 0072 |
| Email address | customerservice@sse.com |
| Scottish Power head office | Inveralmond House 200 Dunkeld Road Perth PH1 3AQ |
| Website | https://sse.co.uk/home |
| facebook.com/yourSSE | |
| @yourSSE | |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/sse-plc | |
| YouTube | youtube.com/yourSSE |
| Contact Form | https://sse.co.uk/forms/general-enquiry |
| Direct debit enquiries | 0345 673 0602 |
| Meter readings | 0345 070 7371 |
| Smart meter enquiries | 0345 071 3991 |
| Prepayment meter enquiries | 0345 070 7372 |
| Moving home | 0345 600 2006 |
| Power cuts | 105 |
| Gas emergencies | 0800 111 999 |
SSE In Recent News
SSE recently agreed to sell all their interest in its portfolio of gas exploration and production. Viaro Energy purchased this portfolio for £120m.
The portfolio comprises of shares in over 15 producing fields in three regions in the North Sea: the Easington Catchment Area, the Bacton Catchment Area, and the Greater Laggan Area.
SSE has previously stated that gas exploration and production do not match their current focus on renewable energy, with their goals on trebling their renewable electricity output by 2030.
SSE own a huge 40% stake in the Dogger Bank wind farm. Once completed in 2026, this will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. SSE claim one rotation of a Dogger Bank turbine could generate the amount of electricity needed to power an average UK household for two days.
SSE Key Financial Data
| Income Statement: | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2019 |
| £ (Millions) | £ (Millions) | |
| Revenue: | 6,800.60 | 7,301.50 |
| Operating Profit / (Loss): | 809.50 | 1,484.40 |
| Net Interest: | (375.80) | (313.30) |
| Profit Before Tax: | 587.60 | 1,300.30 |
| Profit after tax from continuing operations: | 466.10 | 1,310.20 |