Brazilian power company AES Eletropaulo (AES) posted a 2.0% on-year slide in first-quarter net profit on weaker consumption and a jump in retirement-related benefit costs, the company said late Thursday.

AES Eletropaulo registered a first-quarter net profit of 148 million Brazilian reals ($71 million), down from BRL151 million in the year-ago quarter.

In a statement, AES Eletropaulo said that the first-quarter results reflected an 8.01% rate adjustment by regulator Aneel in July, a decline in consumption and increased retirement costs.

The company recorded revenue of BRL1.85 billion in the first quarter, up 5.3% from BRL1.76 billion in the first quarter of 2008.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, in the first quarter were BRL356 million, down from BRL361 million in the year-ago quarter.

Ebitda margin, a key indicator of profitability, fell to 19.2% in the first quarter versus 20.6% in the year-ago period.

-By Jeff Fick, Dow Jones Newswires; 55-21-2586-6085; jeff.fick@dowjones.com