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Interim Management Statement

14th Jul 2010 07:00

RNS Number : 2950P
Telecom Plus PLC
14 July 2010
 



14 July 2010

 

 

Telecom plus PLC (the "Company")

 

Interim Management Statement

 

 

Telecom plus PLC (trading as the Utility Warehouse), which supplies a wide range of utility services (gas, electricity, fixed line telephony, mobile telephony and broadband internet) to both residential and business customers, is issuing its Interim Management Statement to cover the period from 1 April 2010 to 13 July 2010. This incorporates information relating to the performance of the business for its first quarter ended 30 June 2010, to coincide with its Annual General Meeting (""AGM") being held later today.

 

Highlights

 

·; Encouraging organic growth

·; Significant improvement in customer quality

·; Customer numbers up by 5,680 during the quarter to 351,442 (30 June 2009: 312,652)

·; Number of services up by 30,847 during the quarter to 1,075,363 (30 June 2009: 908,882)

 

Operating Review

 

During the first quarter, customer numbers increased by 5,680 to 351,442 (30 June 2009: 312,652), representing an increase of more than 12% compared with the same stage last year. The number of services provided rose by almost 31,000 to 1,075,363 (30 June 2009: 908,882) representing an increase of 18% over the last 12 months. These figures clearly demonstrate the robust nature of our business model in the current difficult economic climate, notwithstanding the fact that the period included Easter and two May bank holiday weekends which are usually relatively quiet periods for gathering new customers.

 

The enhanced focus on customer quality within the residential discount club (which started last summer) has seen a significant improvement in the average number of services taken by each member, which increased from 3.28 to 3.32 during the quarter (30 June 2009: 3.13). Of particular note, the penetration of Cashback cards within our residential club has increased from 7% to 17% over the last 12 months.

 

We saw a net increase of around 800 distributors during the quarter, taking the total to just under 36,000. Activity levels are comfortably ahead of the levels seen during the previous quarter, following the successful distributor sales conference held in April and the launch of our new web-based training programme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customer, Distributor and Service Numbers

 

Telecom Plus Group

FY11

FY10

Q1

Q4

Q3

Q2

Q1

Distributors

35,832

34,992

33,544

31,852

29,789

Customers

Residential Club

275,097

269,893

265,143

256,263

242,779

Business Club

22,259

21,523

20,479

19,137

17,809

Total Club

297,356

291,416

285,622

275,400

260,588

Non Club

42,821

42,276

41,871

41,988

41,772

Total Telecom Plus

340,177

333,692

327,493

317,388

302,360

TML

11,265

12,070

11,912

11,140

10,292

Total Group

351,442

345,762

339,405

328,528

312,652

Services

Electricity

274,519

267,186

259,853

248,169

231,207

Gas

230,251

224,256

218,359

208,663

195,013

Fixed Telephony

212,656

211,565

207,934

203,025

195,745

Fixed Line Rental

156,611

153,074

147,970

143,400

134,193

Broadband

102,835

98,595

93,982

90,685

83,687

Mobile

35,360

34,067

34,961

35,610

35,951

Cashback card

46,814

39,433

32,818

24,468

17,262

Non Geographic numbers

16,317

16,340

16,168

16,068

15,824

Total Group

1,075,363

1,044,516

1,012,045

970,088

908,882

Residential Club

913,537

883,904

854,106

815,933

760,009

Business Club

54,685

52,949

50,182

47,012

43,528

Total Club

968,222

936,853

904,288

862,945

803,537

Non Club

70,712

69,855

69,871

70,460

70,063

Total Telecom Plus

1,038,934

1,006,708

974,159

933,405

873,600

TML

36,429

37,808

37,886

36,683

35,282

Total Group

1,075,363

1,044,516

1,012,045

970,088

908,882

 

Cash Flow

 

Underlying cash flow remains in line with management expectations, following the coldest UK winter in more than 30 years. As the net debtor balance relating to customers paying for their energy by budget plan starts to reverse over the next few months, we anticipate that our cash balance as at 30 June 2010 of approximately £1.0m (31 March 2010: £2.5m) will improve significantly by 30 September 2010, notwithstanding the £9.6m cost of paying the proposed final dividend for last year which is expected to be made on the 6 August 2010.

 

The Company has sufficient banking facilities available to meet any reasonably foreseeable increase in our working capital requirements resulting from our anticipated growth, higher energy prices and/or another cold winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outlook

 

We anticipate steady organic growth over the coming months in the numbers of customers, distributors and services we supply, driven by continuing strong demand for our unique multi-utility proposition and the other valuable benefits we provide to our members.

 

We reduced our energy tariffs on 1 April 2010 in line with the market; however, the upward movement in the forward wholesale price curves for both gas and electricity over the last few months suggest we are unlikely to see any further reductions this year.

 

Our financial performance since the year end has been in line with market expectations, and we anticipate that our half yearly report will show earnings and pre-tax profits significantly ahead of the figures for the comparable period last year.

 

It remains our intention, in the absence of unforeseen circumstances, to recommend a maintained total dividend of 22p for the current year.

 

Half Yearly Report

 

Our half yearly report for the six months ending 30 September 2010 is expected to be announced on 23 November 2010.

 

Charles Wigoder, Chief Executive said:

 

"Our focus on customer quality within the residential discount club has seen a significant improvement in the average number of services taken by each member, which increased from 3.27 to 3.32 during the quarter. Of particular note, the penetration of Cashback cards within our residential club has increased from 7% to 17% over the last 12 months."

 

"We anticipate steady organic growth over the coming months in the numbers of customers, distributors and services we supply, driven by continuing strong demand for our unique multi-utility proposition and the other valuable benefits we provide to our members."

 

 

For more information please contact:

 

Telecom plus PLC

Charles Wigoder, Chief Executive 020 8955 5000

Chris Houghton, Finance Director

KBC Peel Hunt

Richard Kauffer / Dan Webster 020 7418 8900

 

Brewin Dolphin

Richard Jones 0845 059 6740

 

Hogarth

Reg Hoare 020 7357 9477

 

About Telecom plus PLC:

Telecom plus, which owns and operates the Utility Warehouse brand, is the UK's only fully integrated provider of a wide range of competitively priced utility services spanning both the Communications and Energy markets.

 

Customers benefit from the convenience of a single monthly bill, consistently good value across all their utilities and exceptional levels of customer service. The Company does not advertise, relying instead on "word of mouth" recommendation by existing satisfied customers in order to grow its market share.

 

Telecom plus also has a wholly owned subsidiary called TML purchased in 2002, which supplies predominantly fixed line telephony to small and medium sized business customers through a network of authorised resellers and dealers.

 

Telecom plus is listed on the London Stock Exchange (Ticker: TEP LN). For further information please visit: www.telecomplus.co.uk.

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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