After taking mitigating actions such as cutting travel costs and axing management bonuses, the impact of the virus was around £60 million.
The FTSE 250 firm posted a 19% fall in underlying profits to £869 million for the six months to June 30. Revenues declined 9% to £12.5 billion.
Centrica was allowed to do emergency jobs during the lockdown, but was unable to get into customer homes for other non-essential services, such as installing boilers.
Sales teams also had less opportunities to meet with people wanting to buy its Hive products, which includes apps that control home heating.
O’Shea, who became chief executive in April and was formerly finance chief, last month set out a restructuring plan to reduce costs. Some 5000 job cuts are planned.
Centrica has been grappling with new competitors for years, and it was hit by a new energy price cap, a flagship policy of former prime minister Theresa May, that come into force last year.
