Public electricity supplier
Public electricity suppliers (PES) were the fourteen electricity companies created in Great Britain 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. 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 AEBs were changed into independent regional electricity companies (RECs) and the CEGB was split into four, 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, which were renamed distribution network operators (DNOs). 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 East Midlands Electricity Formerly the East Midlands Electricity Board. Acquired by Powergen in 1998, which was itself taken over by multinational E.ON in 2002. The retail supply business continues to operate as E.ON UK. After Powergen also acquired MEB in 2004, the two distribution networks were merged under the Central Networks name. The combined network was sold in 2011 and is now part of Western Power Distribution. Eastern Electricity Formerly the Eastern Electricity Board. Acquired by Hanson plc in 1995. Demerged from Hanson as part of The Energy Group, which was later sold to the US firm Texas Utilities and became TXU Energi, part of TXU Europe. In 2002 it was sold to Powergen, which was subsequently acquired by the German utility company E.On, and the operations were rebranded in 2004. The distribution business was owned by EDF. Now owned by UK Power Networks along with London Electricity and SEEBOARD. London Electricity Formerly the London Electricity Board. Acquired by US-based Entergy in 1996 for £1.3bn ($2.1bn). Acquired by EDF International in 1998, which merged it with SEEBOARD and Eastern Electricity to form EDF Energy. Now owned by UK Power Networks. Manweb Formerly the Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board. Manweb plc was acquired by Scottish Power in 1995. Scottish Power was in turn acquired by the Spanish energy utility Iberdrola during 2017, although it continues to use Scottish Power branding on domestic sales of gas and electricity. The DNO for the area is SP Manweb plc, a subsidiary of SP Energy Networks. Midlands Electricity Formerly the Midlands Electricity Board. Originally acquired in 1996 by a consortium of US