Clare Spottiswoode hails opening of domestic gas markets

More than 4 million customers were expected to transfer to a new gas supplier as the market fully opens to competition, Clare Spottiswoode (above), the gas regulator, said yesterday.

Ms Spottiswoode, director general of Ofgas, said competition in gas supply, which enables domestic consumers to choose which company supplies their gas, is to reach London in May and is already breaking records.

"So far around 7.3 million people ... can choose their gas supplier and already around 1.3 million - almost one in five - are choosing to switch.

"By comparison, only one in 10 telephone subscribers have switched away from British Telecom," she added.

Photograph: Kalpesh Lathigra