FIRST BANK LOAN CERTIFICATE OF NOTIFICATION

                             (First Quarter - 1996)

                                    Filed by

                              THE SOUTHERN COMPANY

Pursuant  to order of the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  dated  
March 13,  1996 in the  matter of File No.70-8789.

The Southern Company (SOUTHERN) hereby certifies to said Commission, pursuant to
Rule 24, that, in accordance with the terms and conditions of and for the
purposes represented by the statement on Form U-1 in the above matter at the end
of the first quarter of 1996, SOUTHERN had:-

Short-term and/or term loan notes outstanding - $0;

Commercial paper to dealers outstanding -



Issue Date           Maturity Date       Issuer                  Principal Amount          Discount Rate

                                                                                       
01/23/96               04/25/96          J. P. Morgan                $30,000,000               5.3300%
01/26/96               04/01/96          Morgan Stanley               42,000,000               5.3500
02/06/96               05/07/96          Lehman Brothers              13,500,000               5.1300
02/06/96               04/11/96          Morgan Stanley               30,000,000               5.1700
02/15/96               05/13/96          Morgan Stanley               30,000,000               5.0800
02/15/96               05/13/96          Lehman Brothers              20,000,000               5.0800
02/15/96               04/12/96          Lehman Brothers              17,000,000               5.1800
02/15/96               04/12/96          J. P. Morgan                 15,000,000               5.1800
03/04/96               05/06/96          Lehman Brothers              38,000,000               5.1900
03/04/96               05/03/96          J. P. Morgan                 22,000,000               5.1900
03/07/96               04/08/96          J. P. Morgan                 33,000,000               5.2500
and


Non-negotiable promissory notes to public entities in exchange for the proceeds
of their revenue anticipation notes - $0.






                                       -2-



                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Public Utility Holding Company Act
of 1935, the undersigned company has duly caused this certificate to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


Dated: May 15, 1996                         THE SOUTHERN COMPANY


                                            By:/s/  Sam H. Dabbs, Jr.
                                                        Sam H. Dabbs, Jr.
                                                       Assistant Secretary