ATLANTA -- Southern Company’s National Accounts organization has been recognized by the nation’s retail chains, as one of three programs in the nation who offered the best overall customer service in 2003. This is the sixth year that Southern Company has earned the top customer service award.

Edison Electric Institute’s Advisory Group presented the award to Southern Company during its seventh annual Customer Service Awards program at their Spring National Accounts Workshop.

Each year, awards are based on hundreds of surveys completed by the nation’s largest commercial retail customers. Utilities are recognized based on their overall effectiveness in providing outstanding customer service and value.

For the third year in a row, Southern Company’s National Accounts manager, Janet Booker, earned an award for outstanding individual National Accounts executive. Booker’s award was based on her ability to provide multi-site customers with service levels and information above and beyond expectations.

“Our company has a high standard for customer service and satisfaction,” says Leonard Haynes, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Southern Company. “We are once again honored that our National Account customers are pleased with the way we do business. We also extend our congratulations to Janet Booker for being recognized for her outstanding efforts in meeting the needs of our customers.”

Southern Company’s National Accounts organization is a service resource dedicated to adding value to the business customers it serves by providing energy related products, services, information and industry expertise.

With 4 million customers and nearly 39,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier super-regional energy company in the Southeast and a leading U.S. producer of electricity. Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a growing competitive generation company, an energy services business and a competitive retail natural gas business, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are 15 percent below the national average. Southern Company has been named three consecutive years No. 1 on Fortune magazine’s “America’s Most Admired Companies” list in the Electric and Gas Utility industry. Southern Company has been ranked the nation’s top energy utility in the American Customer Satisfaction Index four years in a row. Southern Company has more than 500,000 shareholders, making its common stock one of the most widely held in the United States. Visit the Southern Company Web site at www.southerncompany.com.