London Electricity Board Explained

London Electricity
Fate:Acquired
Successor:EDF Energy
Foundation:1948
Defunct:1998
Location:London, UK
Industry:Electricity

The London Electricity Board was the public sector utility company responsible for the supply and distribution of electricity to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers in London prior to 1990. It also sold and made available for hire and hire-purchase domestic electrical appliances through local showrooms where electricity bills could also be paid. It was shortened to LEB in its green and blue logo, consisting of the three letters. As London Electricity plc it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History

The board was formed as the London Electricity Board on 1 April 1948 as part of the nationalisation of the electricity industry by the Electricity Act 1947. The LEB was privatised in 1990 under the Electricity Act 1989, as London Electricity plc.

The company was acquired by Entergy, a US company, in 1996 and then by Électricité de France in November 1998.[1]

Notable employees of the business include former prime minister John Major[2] and the former archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey.[3]

Chairmen of the LEB

Other members of the board were: Deputy Chairman C.G. Moss (1964, 1967), Full-time member C.A.F. Beaumont (1964, 1967).

Customers

The total number of customers supplied by the board were:

London Electricity Board customers, 1948–89!Year!1948/9!1960/1!1965/6!1970/1!1975/6!1978/9!1980/1!1985/6!1987/8!1988/9
No. of customers, 1,000s1482178718481849184418721787184918871909

Electricity sales

The amount of electricity sold, in GWh, by the LEB over its operational life was as follows:[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_company_file/224583.stm London Electricity goes to France
  2. Book: John Major. John Major: The Autobiography. Harper Collins. 1999. 30.
  3. http://rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org/pages/george-carey-103rd-archbishop-of-canterbury.html "Dr Rowan Williams 104th Archbishop of Canterbury - The Archbishops from Augustine to Williams"
  4. Who was Who
  5. LEB Annual Reports
  6. Book: The Electricity Council. Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics. The Electricity Council. 1990. 085188122X. London. 56.