Iain Conn, chief executive of Centrica, was remarkably calm and chatty yesterday for a man who must surely be feeling the pressure (report, page 37). Since he joined the owner of British Gas in January 2015 its share price has nearly halved, from 280½p a share to 148¾p at the close yesterday. He is fighting fires on a number of fronts in a business that has yet to stem the flow of households switching to rival suppliers in the UK and is facing intense competitive pressure in its North American division. Centrica has the uncertainty of an energy price cap in the UK hanging over its head and rising wholesale prices. And trying to achieve £1 billion of revenue from Centrica Hive, its smart home…

Source: The Times July 31, 2018 23:02 UTC