London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited

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London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited
TypePublic limited company
IndustryEnergy: Electricity supply
PredecessorSee text
FoundedFebruary 1935
Defunct31 March 1948
FateNationalisation
SuccessorBritish Electricity Authority, London Electricity Board
Headquarters
London
Area served
Central and West London
Key people
see text
ServicesElectricity supply

London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited was an electricity supply company that operated in central and west London from 1935 to 1948. It was founded to acquire, combine and coordinate the electricity distribution interests of six west London electricity companies.

History[]

The London Power Company was established in 1925 by ten London electricity undertakings to centralise the generation of electricity at Battersea Power Station.[1] The constituent companies continued as electricity distribution and sales undertakings.

In 1934 six electricity supply companies in west and central London wished to bring together in one organisation the distribution resources of their constituent companies. This was to standardise and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of electricity supplies in a single organisation.[2] The six constituent companies were the:

  • Brompton and Kensington Electricity Supply Company
  • Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company
  • Chelsea Electricity Supply Company
  • Kensington and Knightsbridge Electric Lighting Company
  • St. James and Pall Mall Electric Light Company
  • Westminster Electricity Supply Corporation

The London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited was registered as a public company in February 1935. This was under the provisions of the London Electricity (No. 2) Act 1925. The undertaking's declared policy was:[3]

  1. To build up a single effective organisation in place of the six existing organisations;
  2. To secure as soon as possible the greatest uniformity in tariffs on the lowest basis attainable;
  3. To make the best possible speed towards the completion of the engineering programme of the companies in adopting the standard system laid down by the Central Electricity Board.

The administrative mechanism to achieve integration was for the Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company to take over the other five companies and to change its name to Central London Electricity Limited. With effect from 1 January 1937 the whole of the shares of Central London Electricity Limited were held by the non-statutory body London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited.[4] Compensation to directors of the constituent companies was set at three years gross fees for loss of office.[3]

The company was able to standardise electricity supplies (240 V, 50 Hz AC) in the combined area and reduced costs significantly. However, the company was unable to attract further companies to the merger.[5]

The war years (1939–45) were difficult for the company. The sale of electricity fell by 30 per cent; the number of consumers fell by 39 per cent and the electrical load by 37.5 per cent. Tariffs had to be increased in 1940 and 1943.[6] The amount of war damage was estimated to be £600,000, with bulk supply sub-stations damaged on 55 occasions and 139 transformer chambers and 1,424 cables were damaged. Recovery began in 1944 with increases in both sales and the number of consumers.[6]

In 1948 the London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited and Central London Electricity Limited head office was at 60 St. Martins Lane. There were showrooms at: 143/7 Regent Street; 31 Belgrave Road; 254 Earl's Court Road; 147 Sloane Street; and 12 Victoria Street.[7]

The London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited and Central London Electricity Limited were abolished on 31 March 1948 under the terms of the Electricity Act 1947[8] which nationalised the British electricity supply industry. The company's high voltage bulk electricity transmission systems were vested in the British Electricity Authority.[9] The local distribution systems and the electricity sales functions were vested in the London Electricity Board (LEB).

Key people[]

Chairmen of London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited were:[6]

Electricity supply statistics[]

The electricity supply statistics for the six constituent companies in 1936, the final year of independent operation, were as follows.[4]

Company Electricity sold, MWh Maximum load, MW Connection, MW No. of consumers
Brompton and Kensington 21,433 9.30 51.056 14,722
Charing Cross 116,454 48.988 119.731 11,614
Chelsea 37,729 10.350 55.131 11,462
Kensington and Knightsbridge 40,100 14.320 64.258 7,903
St James and Pall Mall 56,116 22.111 55.665 6,045
Westminster 124,249 47.766 200.450 28,607

Operating data for the London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited and Central London Electricity Limited was as shown.[2][6]

Year Electricity sold, MWh Connections, MW No. of Consumers
1934 314,000 450 –
1935 350,000 489 –
1936 386,000 – –
1937 419,000 592 –
1938 432,000 – 86,000
1939–42 No accounts published during the war
1943 303,000 – 53,000
1944 348,000 – 76,684
1945 382,250 – 83,800
1946 450,000 – 90,600
1947 433,000 – –

Finances[]

The combined share capital of the constituent companies in 1935 was £6,892,194.[2] The London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited was able to carry out the amalgamation for £7,300.[3]

The electricity tariffs and operational revenue was as follows.[3][6]

Year Tariff, d./kWh Revenue, £
1934 1.804 2,460,000
1935 1.682 2,500,000
1936 1.624 2,658,600
1937 0.5 2,782,600
1938 1.451 –
1944 – +487,000
1945 – +364,000
1946 – +394,000
1947 – –221,000

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ London County Council (1934). London Statistics vol.37 (1932–3). London: London County Council. pp. 330–1.
  2. ^ a b c "Electricity Scheme". The Times. 6 February 1935. p. 18.
  3. ^ a b c d "London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited". The Times. 20 March 1936. p. 22.
  4. ^ a b London County Council (1939). London Statistics vol.41 (1936–8). London: London County Council. p. 386.
  5. ^ Hannah, Leslie (1979). Electricity before Nationalisation. London: Macmillan. p. 247. ISBN 0333220862.
  6. ^ a b c d e The Times, ‘London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited’ 24 March 1937 p. 26; 23 March 1938 p. 21; 22 March 1939 p. 22; 21 March 1940 p. 14; 14 April 1945 p. 8; 4 April 1946 p. 8; 20 June 1947 p. 9; 5 April 1948 p. 7.
  7. ^ Horne. "London Area Power Supply" (PDF). metadyne. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  9. ^ Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 60–61. ISBN 085188105X.
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