At the time of privatisation of the electricity industry there were fourteen Public Electricity Suppliers (PESs) in UK who replaced the old area and Scottish electricity boards. Whilst the geographical areas of these former PESs remain unchanged the industry itself is somewhat different. Although distribution has been separated altogether from supply, the former PES areas are used as the basis of current day distribution areas. Which PES / Distribution area you are in has a significant effect on your energy charges. This applies to standing charges, availability charges as well as unit rates.
To find out which PES / Distributor area you're in, simply consult the map below. Moving the mouse over the various areas shows the postcodes covered, useful if you're not sure which area you are in. Clicking on the areas brings up a brief profile of the various distributors and their history.
UK Distributor Map
London Electricity
DNO Name : London Power Networks
Owner : LE Group
Ultimate Parent : EdF - French Government
History
Pre-privatisation : London Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as London Electricity plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Feb 7 1997 : sold to Energy Power UK plc
Dec 31 1998 : sold to EdF International
Jan 2001 : structure changed to LE Group
Eastern Electricity
DNO Name : EPN Distribution
Owner : LE Group
Ultimate Parent : EdF - French Government
History
Pre-privatisation : Eastern Electricity
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Eastern Electricity plc
Sep 18 1995 : Hanson plc takeover
Feb 24 1997 : unbundled from Hanson and floated
Sep 1 1998 : taken over by TXU Europe
Nov 9 1999 : renamed TXU Europe
Jan 18 2002 : sold to LE Group
SEEBOARD
DNO Name : SEEBOARD Power Networks
Owner : LE Group
Ultimate Owner : EdF - French Government
History
Pre-privatisation : South Eastern Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as SEEBOARD plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Jan 11 1996 : taken over by CSW
Jun 15 2000 : CSW merged with American Electric Power
Jun 18 2002 : agreement to sell to LE Group
Jul 29 2002 : LE purchase SEEBOARD
South Western Electricity
DNO Name : Western Power Distribution
Owner : PPL
Ultimate Owner : PPL - US Investor Owned
History
Pre-privatisation : South Western Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as South Western Electricity plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Sep 18 1995 : taken over by Southern Electric International
Jul 1 1996 : Southern sold 25% stake to PPL Global Inc
Jun 18 1996 : PPL stake increased to 51%
Oct 1 1999 : renamed Western Power Distribution
Southern Electric
DNO Name : SE Power Distribution
Owner : Scottish and Southern Energy plc
Ultimate Owner : Scottish and Southern Energy plc - UK publicly
quoted
History
Pre-privatisation : Southern Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Southern Electric plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Dec 14 1998 : merged with Scottish Hydro-Electric plc to form
Scottish and Southern Energy plc
South Wales Electricity
DNO Name : Western Power Distribution
Owner : PPL
Ultimate Owner : PPL - US Investor Owned
History
Pre-privatisation : South Wales Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as South Wales Electricity plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Jan 29 1996 : taken over by Welsh Water becoming part of Hyder plc
Feb 17 2000 : renamed Infralec
Sep 15 2000 : Hyder bought by Western Power Distribution
Midlands Electricity
DNO Name : Aquila Networks
Owner : Aquila 79.9%
First Energy 20.1%
Ultimate Owner : Aquila 79.9% - US Investor Owned
First Energy 20.1% - US Investor Owned
History
Pre-privatisation : Midlands Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Midlands Electricity plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Jun 7 1996 : taken over by Avon Energy Partners
Mar 20 2000 : renamed GPU Power UK
May 8 2002 : Aquila purchase 79.9% of Avon Energy Partners
May 8 2002 : renamed Aquila Networks
East Midlands Electricity
DNO Name : East Midlands Electricity
Owner : Powergen
Ultimate Parent : E.ON - German publicly quoted
History
Pre-privatisation : East Midlands Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as East Midlands Electricity plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Jan 10 1997 : taken over by Dominion Resources
Jul 27 1998 : sold to PowerGen
Manweb
DNO Name : SP Manweb
Owner : Scottish Power UK plc
Ultimate Owner : Scottish Power UK plc - UK publicly quoted
History
Pre-privatisation : Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Manweb plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Oct 12 1995 : taken over by Scottish Power
Yorkshire Electricity
DNO Name : YE Distribution
Owner : MidAmerican 94.75%
Xcel Energy 5.25%
Ultimate Owner : Mid American - US Private Company
Xcel - US Investor Owned
History
Pre-privatisation : Yorkshire Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Yorkshire Electricity Group plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Apr 1 1997 : taken over by AEP and PS Colorado
Jun 15 2000 : AEP merged with CSW
Apr 2 2001 : 94.75% purchased by Innogy
Sep 21 2001 : Innogy swap Yorkshire Electricity Distribution with
a MidAmerican
Norweb
DNO name : United Utilities Electricity
Owner : United Utilities
Ultimate Owner : United Utilities plc - UK publicly quoted
History
Pre-privatisation : North Western Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested a NORWEB plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Nov 8 1995 : taken over by North West Water
Aug 3 2000 : renamed Norweb Distribution
Apr 1 2001 : renamed United Utilities
Nov 26 2001 : renamed United Utilities Electricity
Northern Electric
DNO Name : Northern Electric Distribution
Owner : MidAmerican Energy
Ultimate Owner : Berkshire Hathaway -US private company
History
Pre-privatisation : North Eastern Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Northern Electric plc
Dec 11 1990 : floated on stock market
Dec 24 1996 : taken over by CE Electric
Jan 2 1998 : sold to MidAmerican Energy
Scottish Power
DNO Name : SP Distribution
Owner : Scottish Power UK plc
Ultimate Owner : Scottish Power UK plc - UK publicly quoted
History
Pre-privatisation : South of Scotland Electricity Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Scottish PowerS plc
Jun 18 1991 : floated on stock market
Scottish Hydro Electric
DNO Name : SHE Power Distribution
Owner : Scottish and Southern Energy plc
Ultimate Owner : Scottish and Southern Energy plc - UK publicly
quoted
History
Pre-privatisation : North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board
Mar 31 1990 : vested as Scottish Hydro-Electric plc
Jun 18 1991 : floated on stock market
Dec 14 1998 : merged with Southern Electric to form
Scottish and Southern Energy plc
| AB 10-13 AB 15-16 AB 1-3 AB 21-25 AB 30-38 AB 41-45 AB 51-56 DD 1-11 FK 15-21 G 83-84 HS 1-2 IV 1-28 IV 30-32 IV 36 IV 40-49 IV 51-56 |
KA 27-28 KW 1-3 KW 5-17 KY 13 PA 20-49 PA 60-78 PA 80-88 PH 1-26 PH 30-44 ZE 1-3 |
| DG 1-14 DG 16 EH 1-49 EH 51-55 FK 1-14 G 11-15 G 1-5 G 20-23 G 31-34 G 40-46 G 51-53 G 58 G 60-79 G 81-82 |
KA 1-26 KA 29, 30 KY 1-12 KY 14-16 ML 1-12 PA 1-19 TD 1-15 |
| BB 1-7 BB 9-12 BD 24 BL 0-9 CA 1-28 FY 1-8 L 40 LA 1-23 M 11-35 M 38 M 1-9 M 40-41, 43-46 M 60, 90 |
OL 1-12, 15-16 PR 1-7 SK 1-17 WA 12-15 WA 3 WN 1-8 |
| BB 8 BD 1-23 DN 1-12 DN 14-19 DN 31-40 HD 1-8 HU 1-20 HX 1-7 LN 7 LS 1-29 |
OL 14 S 1-14 S 17-19 S 30-31 S 60-66 S 70-75 WF 1-17 YO 15-16 YO 4 |
| B 77-79 CV 1-13 CV 21-23 CV 31-35 DE 11-15 DE 1-7 DE 21-24 DE 45, DE 55-56 DE 65 DE 72-75 DN 20-22 LE 1-18 LE 65, 67 LN 1-6 LN 8-13 |
MK 1-19 MK 43, 46 NG 1-25 NG 31-34 NN 1-18 OX 17 PE 20-25 PE 5-6, PE 8 PE 9-12 S 40-45 S 80-81 |
| AL 1-10 CB 1-11 CM 0-24 CO 1-16 E 4 EW 1-11 HA 0-9 HP 16-23 HP 27 HP 1-8 IG 10 IP 1-33 LU 1-7 MK 40-42 MK 44-45 |
N 17-18 N 21-22 N 2-4, 6 N 8-15 NR 1-35 NW 2, 4, 7 N 9, 11 PE 13-19 PE 1-4, 7 PE 30-38 RM 1-18 SG 1-19 SS 0-9 SS 11-17 WD 1-7 |
| B 1-21 B 23-38 B 40 B 42-50 B 60-76 B 80 B 90-98 BS 17 CV 36, 37 CW 12 DY 1-14 GL 1-6 GL 50-56 GL 9-20 HR 1-4 HR 6-8 |
OX 7 OX 15-16 ST 1-21 SY 1-9, 15 TF 1-13 WR 1-15 WS 1-15 WV 1-16 |
| CH 1-8 CW 1-11 L 1-39 L 41-49 L 60-70, 72 LL 11-49 LL 51-78 LL 7 PR 8, 9 SY 10-14 SY 16-24 WA 1-2 WA 4-11 WA 16 |
| CF 1-5 CF 7-8 CF 31-48 CF 61-64 CF 83 HR 5 LD 1-8 NP 1-9 NP 16, 44 SA 1-20 SA 31-48 SA 61-73 SY 25 |
BA 1-6 |
BA 7-15 |
RG 1-17 RG 21-28 RG 30, 40 RH 14 SL 0-9 SN 1-16 SN 38 SO 14-24 SO 30-32 SO 40-43 SO 45 SO 50-53 SP 1-11 TW 1-8 TW 11-19 UB 1-10 W 3-5, W 7, 13 |
BN 1-16 |
RH 1-13 RH 15-20 SM 1-7 TN 1-40 TW 9-10 TW 20 |
| BR 1, 3, 7 |
SE 1-28 SW 1A,1E SW 1H,1P SW 1V,1W SW 1X,1Z SW 2-20 W 1H,1M W 1N,1P W 1R,1V W 1X,1Y W 2, 6 W 8-12,14 WC 1A,1B WC 1E,1H WC 1N,1R WC 1V,1X WC 2A,2B WC 2E WC 2H,2N WC 2R |
| DH 1-9 DL 1-17 HG 1-5 NE 1-13 NE 15-49 NE 61-71 NE 99 SR 1-8 TS 1-29 YO 1-3 YO 5-8 YO 11-14 YO 17-18 YO 21-22 YO 25 |
Map information provided by Energylinx.
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