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UK profits have slumped by a third at energy company E.ON after a mild winter caused lower demand for heating.
The German-owned company, which supplied power to 4.8m British households and 500,000 businesses in 2013, also said it was concerned about the political crisis in Ukraine and reported a sharp fall in profits from its Russian division.
The UK accounts for 9% of E.ON's earnings but energy sales fell by 10% in the first half of 2014, compared with the previous year when the UK endured a big freeze and a delayed start to summer.
Tony Cocker, E.ON's UK chief executive, said: "Although parts of the UK faced widespread storms, the first six months were actually considerably warmer in comparison to the same period in 2013. This has meant customers have used less energy."
UK profits, measured as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, fell to £188m in the first six months of 2014, compared with £273m the previous year.
E.ON is one of the big six energy companies under fire from politicians and consumer watchdogs for alleged profiteering. Officials at the Competition and Markets Authority recently embarked on the largest-ever investigation of the energy market to check whether consumers are getting a bad deal.
Cocker said he was pleased the energy market was being investigated. "We feel that through our own actions, and the CMA investigation, we can take another step towards becoming our customers' trusted energy partner."
The UK was not the only part of the E.ON empire to suffer falling earnings: group profits were down 12% to €5bn (£4bn), as the company was hit by exchange rate fluctuations and falling prices in its German home market.
Profits from Russia slid by 24%, as a result of the weakening rouble, which reduced earnings when the numbers are converted into euros.
The rouble has fallen by 7% against the euro since the start of the year, amid tension between Russia and the west over Ukraine which has hit investor confidence in Germany.
Group chief executive Johannes Teyssen said the company was monitoring the Ukraine crisis with some concern, but assumed "it would be able to continue to be able to work together successfully with Russian companies".
The biggest factor hitting profits was a 20% fall in gas revenues, as an expansion of renewable power in the German home market reduced wholesale power prices.
The German government wants to get 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025, although it has recently taken steps to slow the rapid expansion of solar and wind power.
Teyssen said the fall in wholesale power prices had become less pronounced and that the German government had recognised "the problems of implementing the transformation of the country's energy system".
