Centrica sees FY earnings at same level as last year

LONDON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - British Gas-owner Centrica (Munich: CENB.MU - news) , one of Britain's big six utilities under fire from politicians for hiking bills, said it expected its full-year earnings per share to come in at the same level as last year.

The company posted adjusted earnings per share of 27.1 pence in 2012. The consensus forecast for Centrica (LSE: CNA.L - news) 's 2013 earnings per share is 27.81 pence according to Thomson Reuters (Frankfurt: 864655 - news) data.

Centrica, Britain's biggest household energy supplier, said in October it would increase gas and electricity bills by an average 9.2 percent, blaming rising government imposed social and economic charges plus an increase in the cost of wholesale energy and higher distribution costs.

"Market conditions remain challenging, particularly in business energy supply in both the UK and the US, in UK gas-fired power generation and in UK gas storage," Centrica said in a statement on Thursday.