Sponsorship of the England cricket team's domestic test matches is striking a chord with UK households, according to Swindon based power group Innogy.

Recognition of its npower electricity and gas supply brand is at an all-time high 59 per cent after the summer's Ashes tests against Australia.

Innogy's contract runs until 2003 and chief executive Brian Count said Swindon-based npower was already one of the most recognised brands in the sector.

Competition for domestic elec-tricity and gas customers is intense, with more than 29 companies fight-ing for business.

Innogy has doubled its customer base to seven million after buying Yorkshire Power and Northern Electric's domestic supply business.

The two acquisitions helped Innogy's pre-tax profits in the six months to September 30 surge to £84 million before one-off costs, up from £20 million.

Turnover at the group jumped 24 per cent to £1.56 billion.

Innogy was created in October last year when National Power split its domestic and international opera-tions.

Mr Count said: "The results show the group is making strong progress in transforming itself into an inte-grated energy company.

"Profits at the retail arm hit £47 million, up £35 million on a year ago, with new services also helping to drive revenues.

"Telecom customers are expected to hit 150,000 by next May while 3,000 people have signed up to Juice, an electricity product derived from renewable energy."

Profits from Innogy's power plants were hit by lower summer prices but trading generated profits of £26 million against a loss last year of £15 million.

Mr Count said the development of electricity storage business Regen-esys was on track but no details for its pending flotation were given.

The integration of Yorkshire's supply business was progressing well, with sales and marketing activities combined with npower's.

The Northern Electric integration programme was in its early stages but around £15 million-worth of cost savings are expected in the current financial year.

"We are confident that our full-year results will meet expectations and look forward to delivering our strategy of further growth for Innogy," Mr Count said.

Including exceptional and goodwill costs, bottom-line pre-tax profits were £54 million compared with a loss of £175 million in the same period a year ago.