SWEB Energy

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SWEB Energy
FormerlySouth Western Electricity Board
Founded14 August 1947  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Defunct10 December 1993  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Parent

SWEB Energy, formerly South Western Electricity Board (SWEB) was a British state-owned regional electricity company operating in South West England which was privatised by the Thatcher government. Although sold many times, the 'SWEB' brand name survived until 2006.

Contents

The distribution network operator for the former SWEB area is now National Grid Electricity Distribution. The incumbent electricity retail company is EDF Energy.

South Western Electricity Board (SWEB)

Former headquarters of the board, Electricity House, The Centre, Bristol Electricity House, Colston Avenue, Bristol.png
Former headquarters of the board, Electricity House, The Centre, Bristol

The board was responsible for the purchase of electricity from the electricity generator (the Central Electricity Generating Board from 1958) and its distribution and sale of electricity to customers. The key people on the board were: Chairman A.N. Irens (1964, 1967), Deputy Chairman S.F.C. Whitmore (1964, 1967), and full-time member C.E. Knight (1964, 1967). [2]

The total number of customers supplied by the board over its operational life was: [3] [4]

Number of SWEB customers 1949–89
Year1948/91960/11965/61970/11975/61978/91980/11985/61987/81988/9
No. of customers, 1000s506789890960104010841107116912061227

The amount of electricity, in GWh, sold by South Western Electricity Board was: [3] [4]

Existing electricity suppliers taken over at nationalisation

The Electricity (Allocation of Undertakings to Area Boards) Order 1948 (SI 1948/484) transferred the electricity business of the following local authorities and private companies to the new board effective 31 March 1948. [5]

Local authorities

  • Barnstaple Corporation
  • Bath Corporation
  • Bridport Corporation
  • Bristol Corporation
  • Exeter Corporation
  • Lyme Regis Corporation
  • Plymouth Corporation
  • Plympton St. Mary Rural District Council
  • Taunton Corporation
  • Tiverton Corporation
  • Torquay Corporation

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 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

Company timeline

In 1990, SWEB Energy was formed from the privatisation of the South Western Electricity Board. [6]

In 1995, SWEB Energy was bought by the American utility Southern Company.

In 1999, the company was bought by the PPL Corporation distribution company Western Power Distribution and was split into two. Western Power itself (officially known as WPD South West) dealt with the local distribution, metering and substations, and the 'SWEB' brand name was continued as a retail energy utility.

In June 1999, SWEB was sold to French-owned EDF Energy. [7] The acquisition was authorised by the European Commission in Jul.1999. [8] EDF discontinued the 'SWEB' brand name on 5 June 2006.

References

  1. ↑ "Electricity House, Bristol, UK". Different Architecture for Different Times. Manchester History. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  2. ↑ Electricity Council Publicity brochures 1964 and 1967
  3. 1 2 Electricity Council (1980). Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics 1979. London: The Electricity Council. pp. 58 63. ISBN   0851880762.
  4. 1 2 Electricity Council (1990). Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics 1989. London: The Electricity Council. pp. 51 56. ISBN   085188122X.
  5. ↑ "Electricity (Allocation of Undertakings to Area Boards) Order 1948" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk.
  6. ↑ Restructuring and Privatisation of Electricity Distribution and Supply Businesses in England and Wales: A Social Cost–Benefit Analysis
  7. ↑ French beat British Energy again with £160m Sweb deal, The Independent, Jun.12.1999
  8. ↑ Commission clears acquisition of SWEB (United Kingdom) by EdF (France), European Commission, Press Release, Jul.20.1999
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