Centrica vs SSE, side by side
Both are UK-listed energy companies, but they earn their money in different ways. Centrica owns British Gas, supplying gas and electricity to homes, and also trades and stores energy, so its profits can swing with volatile energy markets. SSE leans towards electricity networks and renewable generation, especially wind farms, giving it a more regulated, infrastructure-like profile whose income is steadier and tied to long-term investment.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and income, and weakest on momentum.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and income, and weakest on momentum.
The numbers, side by side
| Measure |  Centrica |  SSE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1.55 | £23.46 |
| Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'. | £7.02B | £28.30B |
| P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 10.3 | 22.3 |
| Div yield: Dividend yield: the yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn just from dividends. | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| Revenue growth | 0.6% | -2.1% |
| 1Y: How much the share price has moved over the past year. | -6% | +27% |
More measures
| Forward P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 11.9 | 11.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 3.6% | 11.9% |
| ROE | 19.9% | 9.7% |
| Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. | 0.34 | 0.59 |
The bolder figure is simply the larger of the two - higher is not automatically good (a higher P/E means more expectation in the price; a higher beta means bigger swings).
How they differ
SSE is roughly 4x the size of Centrica by market value. On our factor screen Centrica currently screens higher on value and income, while SSE screens higher on momentum and growth. SSE trades on the higher P/E (22.3 vs 10.3), so more expectation is already built into its price. Over the past year the share prices moved -6% (Centrica) vs +27% (SSE).
Descriptive only - how the two compare on today's data, never a verdict on either.
Centrica, in one line
Centrica is the British energy giant behind British Gas, keeping the lights on and homes warm for millions of households across the UK.
Read the full Centrica explainer →SSE, in one line
SSE is a major British energy company that generates electricity from renewable sources like wind and maintains the power grids that keep the lights on.
Read the full SSE explainer →What to weigh
If dividend income matters to you, the yields differ (3.7% Centrica vs 2.9% SSE). These are facts to understand, not a verdict - read each full explainer before deciding anything.
Common questions
How do Centrica and SSE differ?
Both operate in UK energy, but at different points. Centrica supplies energy directly to households through British Gas and runs trading and storage, so its earnings can rise and fall sharply with market prices. SSE focuses on owning electricity networks and building renewables like wind, which brings more regulated, predictable income.
Why can their profits behave so differently?
Because supplying and trading energy, as Centrica does, exposes it to swings in wholesale prices that can lift or squeeze profits quickly. SSE's networks and wind farms earn more through regulated returns and long-term contracts, which tend to move more slowly. So one can look volatile while the other looks steadier.