Jan 31 Reuters KPN will keep a close eye on energy usage this year partly by modernising its network, its finance chief said, as the Dutch telecoms company seeks to maintain profitability in the face of tough cost pressures.

Finance chief Chris Figee, said on Tuesday KPN39;s energy bill was expected to rise by 5055 million euros in 2023, adding that there was still a lot to be gained from energy savings.

To mitigate this, Figee told reporters the group would keep reviewing its energy usage by modernising its network with smart meter and monitoring systems, and by introducing solar panels.

For 2024, if … the market doesn39;t go berserk again, that means we will no longer have another energy uplift … which will probably help our EBITDA in 2024, Figee, speaking to analysts, added.

Soaring consumer prices and slowing economies are creating new challenges for telecom operators, who have seen profitability eroded in by cutthroat competition and the need to invest in fibre and 5G networks.

The largest telecoms provider in the Netherlands forecast adjusted core earnings after leases EBITDAAL of around 2.41 billion euros 2.61 billion in 2023, compared with 2.40 billion last year.

It said the outlook included a more than 100 million euro hit from higher costs of energy, labour and leases.

A combination of tight cost control, reducing the cost drivers, and pushing for productivity increases … should help us compensate this cost head, Figee said.

He also said tough…