From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The electrical power industry in
the United
Kingdom was nationalised by the Electricity Act 1947, when
over 600 electric power companies were merged into twelve Area
Boards.
List of
companies
The Board's area was defined as: Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and
Warwickshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Boston and District Electric Supply Company (records from
1923)
- Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Electric Power Company (records
from 1901)
- Leicestershire and Warwickshire Electric Power Company (records
from 1904)
- Melton Mowbray Electric Light Company (records from 1899)
- Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited (formed
c.1881)
- Mid Lincolnshire Electric Supply Company Limited (records from
1936)
- Northampton Electric Light & Power Co Ltd (records from
1936)
- Oakham Gas and Electricity Company Limited (records from
1917)
- Rushden and District Electric Supply Company Limited (records
from 1945)
- Tamworth District Electric Supply Company (records from
1930)
- Urban Electric Supply Company
- Wellingborough Electric Supply Company Limited (records from
1900)
- W.J. Furse and Company Limited (records from 1912) †
† Not listed in the Electricity (Allocation of Undertakings
to Area Boards) Order, 1948, presumably had ceased prior to
this date.
The Board's area was defined as: Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, the Isle of Ely, Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Middlesex, Oxfordshire and the Soke of
Peterborough.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
The Northmet Power and Light building in Wood Green, north
London
- Aldeburgh Electric Supply Company
- Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire Electricity
Company
- Brentwood District Electric Company
- Bungay Gas and Electricity Co Ltd (formed 1926)
- Cambridge Electric Supply Company
- Chesham Electric Light and Power Company
- Colne Valley
Electric Supply Company
- East Anglian
Electric Supply Company (incorporating Bury St Edmunds
Corporation)
- East Suffolk Electricity Distribution Company
- Frinton-on-Sea & District Electric Light and Power
Company
- Letchworth Electricity Limited
- Newmarket Electric Light Company
- North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company ("Northmet") -
based in Wood Green,
N22
- Northwood Electric Light and Power Company
- Welwyn Garden City Electricity Supply Company
- Wickford and District Electricity Supply Company
- Wisbech Electric Light and Power Company
The Board's area was defined as: The administrative County of
London and parts of Essex,
Kent, Middlesex and Surrey.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Central London Electricity Limited (formerly Charing Cross
Company)
- Chelsea Electricity Supply Company (formed 1886; taken over by
Charing Cross Co 1937)
- Chislehurst Electric Supply Company
- City of London Electric Lighting Company
- County of London Electric Supply Company
- Foots Cray Electricity Supply Company
- Hampstead Electric
Supply Company Ltd (records from 1898) †
- London Electric Supply Corporation (LESCo) - formed in 1887 out
of Grosvenor Gallery Electric Supply Corporation, London's first
commercial electric power supplier
- London Power Company
- Notting Hill Electric Lighting Company
- South London Electric Supply Corporation
- South Metropolitan Electric Light and Power Company
† Not listed in the Electricity (Allocation of Undertakings
to Area Boards) Order, 1948, presumably had ceased prior to
this date. The Hampstead vestry (predecessor the borough council)
established an electricity supply business in 1894, and this
company may have been acquired by them, or never have become
active.
The Board's area was defined as: Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merionethshire,
Montgomeryshire and parts of Cardiganshire, Cheshire, Lancashire (including Liverpool) and Shropshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Joint electricity
authorities
(Created under the provisions of the Electricity (Supply)
Act, 1919)
- North Wales & South Cheshire Joint Electricity Authority
(records from 1923)
Private
companies
- Borth and Ynyslas Electric Supply Company
- Electricity Distribution of North Wales and District
Limited
- Machynlleth Electric Supply Company
- Mersey Power Company
- Mid-Cheshire Electricity Supply Company
- North Wales Power Company
- Towyn, Aberdovey and District Electricity Company
- Yale Electric Power Company
The Board's area was defined as: Herefordshire, Worcestershire and parts of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire (including Birmingham).
Local authority
undertakings
Joint electricity
authorities
(Created under the provisions of the Electricity (Supply)
Act, 1919)
- North West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority
- West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority - created 1926,
membership consisted of the Midland Electricity Corporation for
Power and Distribution and Wolverhampton, Walsall, West Bromwich
and Shrewsbury corporations and Cannock UDC.
Private
companies
- Chasetown and District Electricity Company
- Market Drayton Electric Light and Power Company
- Midland Electric Corporation for Power Distribution
Limited
- Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electric Power
Company
- Stroud Electric Supply Company
- Thornbury and District Electricity Company
- West Gloucestershire Power Company
The Board's area was defined as: Durham, Northumberland, the North Riding of Yorkshire and
parts of the East and West Ridings of Yorkshire
(including York).
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Askrigg and Reeth Electric Supply Company
- Cleveland and Durham Electric Power Company
- County of Durham Electrical Power Distribution Company
- County of Durham Power Supply Company
- Durham Collieries Electric Power Company
- Durham County Electric Power Company
- Hawes Electric Lighting Company
- Hexham and District Supply Company
- Houghton le Spring and District Electric Lighting Company
- Northern Counties Electricity Supply Company
- Tees Power Station Company
- Newcastle
and District Electric Lighting Company
- North Eastern Electric Supply Company Limited (NESCo; formed in
1889 as Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Electric Supply Company Ltd.) - built a large AC network
pioneered by engineer Charles Merz
The Board's area was defined as: Cumberland, Westmorland and parts of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire (including Manchester) and of the West Riding of
Yorkshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Altrincham Electric Supply Limited
- Cark and District Electricity Company (1918)
- Keswick Electric Light Company
(1890)
- Lancashire Electric
Power Company
- Mid-Cumberland
Electricity Company (1932)
- Ormskirk Electric Supply Company
- Penrith Electricity Supply Company
(1909)
- Sedbergh Electricity
Supply Company (originally J.J.Martin & Co.) (1922)
- Settle and District Electricity Company
- South Cumberland Electricity Supply Company (originally
Cumberland Waste Heat Owners Co. Ltd) (1924)
- Trent Valley and High Peak Electricity Company
- Westmorland and
District Electricity Supply Company (1933)
- Windermere and District Electricity
Supply Company (originally R.H.Fell & Son Ltd.) (1893)
† Only the electricity supply business was transferred, the SHMD
board continued to operate public transport services.
The Board's area was defined as: Berwickshire, Clackmannanshire, Fife, Lothians (East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian), Peebles, Selkirkshire, and
parts of Dunbartonshire, Roxburghshire and Stirlingshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Fife Electric Power Company
- Lothians Electric Power Company
- Musselburgh and District Electric Light and Traction Company
†
- Scottish Central Electric Power Company
- Scottish Midlands Electricity Supply Limited
- Scottish Southern Electric Supply Company
† Musselburgh and District's trams were taken over by Edinburgh
Corporation in 1928, although the company's name was not changed to
reflect this.
The Board's area was defined as: Parts of Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex.
Local authority
undertakings
Joint electricity
authorities
(Created under the provisions of the Electricity (Supply)
Act, 1919)
- London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority
Private
companies
- Burgess Hill Electricity Limited
- Central Sussex Electricity Limited
- Folkestone Electricity Supply Company
- Guildford Gas Light and Coke Company
- Herne Bay and District Electricity Supply Company
- Horley and District Electricity Supply Company
- Kent Electric Power Company
- Lewes and District Electric Supply Company
- Peacehaven Electric Light and Power Company
- Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company
- Richmond (Surrey) Electric Light and Power Company
- Ringmer and District Electricity Company
- Seaford and Newhaven Electricity Limited
- Sevenoaks and District Electricity Company
- Sheerness and District Electric Supply Company
- Shoreham and District Electric Lighting and Power Company
- South-East Kent Electric Power Company
- Steyning Electricity Limited
- Sussex Electricity Supply Company
- Uckfield Gas and Electricity Company
- Weald Electricity Supply Company
- West Kent Electric Company
- Whistable Electric Company
- Woking Electric Supply Company
The Board's area was defined as: Brecknockshire, Carmarthenshire, Glamorganshire, Monmouthshire, Pembrokeshire, Radnorshire and part of Cardiganshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Aberayron and District Electricity Supply and Power
Company
- Carmarthen Electric Supply Company
- Chepstow Electric Lighting and Power Company
- Gorseinon Electric Light Company
- Llanelly and District Electric Supply Company †
- Merthyr Electric Traction and Lighting Company
- Monmouth Electricity Company
- Pontypool Electric Light and Power Company
- Porthcawl Electricity Company
- South Wales Electric Power Company
- West Cambrian Power Company
† Llanelly and District's trolleybus operation was sold to British Electric Traction in
1952.
The Board's area was defined as: Ayrshire, Dumfries-shire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Wigtownshire and
parts of Dunbartonshire, Roxburghshire and Stirlingshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Clyde Valley Electrical Power Company
- Electric Supply Corporation Limited
- Galloway Water Power
Company
- Lanarkshire Hydro Electric Power Company
- Skelmorlie Electric Supply Company
- Strathclyde Electricity Supply Company
- Wigtownshire Electricity Company
The Board's area was defined as: Cornwall (including the Isles of
Scilly), Devonshire and
parts of Dorsetshire, Gloucestershire (including Bristol) and Somersetshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Bideford and District Electricity Supply Company
- Bridgwater and District Electric Supply & Traction
Company
- Brixham Gas and Electricity Company
- Bude Electric Supply Company
- Burnham and District Electric Supply Company
- Chudleigh Electric Light and Power Company
- Cornwall Electric Power Company
- Culm Valley Electric Supply Company
- Dawlish Electric Light and Power Company
- East Devon Electricity Company
- Exe Valley Electricity Company
- Holsworthy Electric Supply Company
- Ilfracombe Electric Light and Power Company
- Lynton and Lynmouth Electric Light Company
- Mid-Somerset Electric Supply Company
- Minehead Electric Supply Company
- North Somerset Electric Supply Company
- Paignton Electric Light and Power Company
- St Austell and District Electric Lighting and Power
Company
- Salcombe Gas and Electricity Company
- Seaton and District Electric Light Company
- South Somerset and District Electricity Company
- Teignmouth Electric Lighting Company
- Wellington District Electricity Company
- West Devon Electric Supply Company
- Weston-super-Mare and District Electric Supply Company
The Board's area was defined as: Berkshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire and parts of Buckinghamshire, Dorsetshire, Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Somersetshire, Surrey and Sussex.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Alton District Electricity Company
- Ascot District Gas and Electricity Company †
- Blandford Forum and District Electric Supply Company
- Bognor and District Gas & Electricity Company ‡
- Bournemouth and Poole Electricity Supply Company
- Brentford Electric Supply Company
- Burford Electric Light and Power Company
- Egham and Staines Electricity Company
- Farnham Gas and Electricity Company ‡
- Isle of Wight Electric Light and Power Company
- Metropolitan Electric Supply Company
- Mid Southern Utility Company ‡
- Milford-on-Sea Electric Supply Company
- Milton and Barton-on-Sea (Hants) Electricity Supply
Company
- Petersfield Electric Light and Power Company
- Ringwood Electric Supply Company
- Salisbury Electric Light and Supply Company
- Slough & Datchet Electric Supply Company
- Uxbridge & District Electric Supply Company
- Wessex Electricity Company
- West Hampshire Electricity Company
- Whitchurch (Hants) Gas and Electricity Company ‡
- Wilton Electricity Supply Company
- Windsor Electrical Installation Company
- Woodstock and District Electrical Distribution Company
- Yorktown (Camberley) Gas and Electricity Company ‡
† Gas operations passed to North Thames Gas Board
‡ Gas operations passed to Southern Gas Board
The Board's area was defined as: Parts of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire
and of the East and West Ridings of
Yorkshire.
Local authority
undertakings
Private
companies
- Buckrose Light and Power Company
- Craven Hydro-Electric Supply Company
- Electrical Distribution of Yorkshire Limited
- North Lincolnshire and Howdenshire Electricity Company
- Pontefract Electricity Company
- South East Yorkshire Light and Power Company
- Tadcaster Electricity Company
- Yorkshire Electric Power Company
Other
companies
References
- "Chelsea Parish" on
middlesexpast.net
- EDF Energy educational
page
- MK Heritage
- Records of the East
Midlands Electricity Board, 1948-1990, Nottingham University
Library
- Kentford
History
- Resources on 19th century
electricity supply, IEE Archives
- British History
Online
- The Coming of Electricity to Bergh Apton, Derek J.
Blake, in Bergh
Apton newsletter December 2004
- "The Twentieth Century", St
Edmundsbury Borough Council
- West Ham's
Timeline
- London Area Power Supply:
A Survey of London's Electric Lighting and Power Stations,
M.A.C. Horne (PDF) - contains a detailed list of generating
companies, not reproduced here because of copyright
- Survey of Belford
1995 (with notes on electricity supply in North East)
- "A-Z of industries -
Electricity" on Industrial History of Cumbria
- Hampstead Public Services from
the Victoria County History of Middlesex
- Electricity Act, 1947 (10 & 11 Geo.6 c.54)
- Electricity (Allocation of Undertakings to Area Boards) Order,
1948 (1948 No. 484)
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