Scottish & Southern Energy said yesterday it now had �nine million customers�, made up of 5.53 million electricity accounts and 3.47 million gas accounts.

Scottish & Southern Energy said yesterday it now had "nine million customers", made up of 5.53 million electricity accounts and 3.47 million gas accounts.

It said total accounts had risen by over 500,000 since April 1, but was unable to say how many individual customers it has, how the rate of account growth this year compares with past periods, or what its movement in market share may have been.

Accounts have now doubled in the seven years since the end of 2001 at SSE, which is the second-largest supplier of electricity and gas in the UK and supplies energy as Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro Electric, Swalec and Atlantic.

Chief executive Ian Marchant said: "I am very pleased that seven successive years of growth has enabled us to double our customer base to nine million. It is no coincidence that we have achieved this while being independently recognised as the customer service benchmark for the rest of the industry."

SSE said total accounts had risen by more 500,000 since April 1, but was unable to say how many individual customers it has, how the rate of account growth this year compares with past periods, or what its movement in market share may have been.