Public electricity suppliers (PES) were the fourteen electricity companies created in Great Britain in 1990, when the electricity market in the United Kingdom was privatised following the Electricity Act 1989. The Utilities Act 2000 subsequently split these companies between distribution network operators and separate supply companies.
Previously, in England and Wales the Central Electricity Generating Board had been responsible for the generation and transmission of electricity, with the twelve area electricity boards (AEBs) formed under the Electricity Act 1947 responsible for the distribution and supply of electricity to consumers.
In Scotland the structure was different, with all aspects of generation, transmission, distribution and supply being carried out by two vertically integrated companies.
History
England and Wales
On 31 March 1990 the twelve area electricity boards were changed into independent regional electricity companies (RECs) and the CEGB was split into four parts: three generation companies and the National Grid Company, operator of the National Grid. The National Grid Company was placed under the ownership of the RECs. On 11 December 1990 the RECs were privatised.
In 2000, as part of further restructuring under the Utilities Act 2000, the PES were required to have separate licences for their supply business and distribution network. The companies holding the distribution licences became known as distribution network operators (DNOs).[1]
Scotland
The Scottish boards were privatised whole in 1991 with the exception of the nuclear plants, which passed to Scottish Nuclear and were later privatised as part of British Energy.
Companies
[[File:REC map.png|thumb|Regional electricity companies in England and Wales 1. East Midlands Electricity
2. Eastern Electricity
3. London Electricity
4. MANWEB
5. Midlands Electricity
6. North Eastern Electricity Board
7. NORWEB
8. SEEBOARD
9. South Wales Electricity
10. South Western Electricity
11. Southern Electric
12. Yorkshire Electricity ]]
East Midlands Electricity
Formerly the East Midlands Electricity Board. Acquired by Powergen in 1998,[2] which was itself taken over by multinational E.ON in 2002.
See also
- Electricity in Great Britain
- Electricity billing in the UK
- Electricity Commissioners
- Big Six energy suppliers
References
- Distribution Network Operator - What is a DNO? Vattenfall IDNO, retrieved 2025-09-27^
- PowerGen buys East Midlands BBC News, 29 June 1998, retrieved 22 June 2020^
- Powergen merges Midlands firms BBC News, 16 January 2004, retrieved 22 June 2020