BIG SIX energy giant SSE was roasted yesterday for treating customers like “cash cows” after it refused to cut prices despite revealing a six-month profit of almost £549 million.

Lower wholesale prices together with high cold-weather gas and electricity use propelled SSE’s pre-tax profit between April and September up 48 per cent on a year earlier.

Price comparison web site uSwitch consumer policy director Ann Robinson said it was yet more evidence that customers who pay through the nose to keep homes warm are not benefiting from suppliers’ savings.

“Consumers are not cash cows,” she said.

“It is simply unacceptable that, while SSE is set to make healthy profits, many of its customers are fearing sky-high energy bills this winter.”

Suppliers should offer lower rates “to ease the pain of exorbitant bills,” she suggested.

But SSE has made only one price cut this year, of 4 per cent to its standard gas tariff, and boss Alistair Phillips-Davies simply claimed that his firm would monitor costs and pass on savings if possible.

National Pensioners Convention general secretary Dot Gibson said that only renationalising the energy industry would result in affordable energy for people on low incomes.

“Energy is one of those areas where the public need to have greater involvement and ownership of the industry in order to get a fair deal,” she said.

“Millions, both young and old, will be struggling to keep warm this winter at a time when companies like SSE are making massive profits.”