East Midlands Electricity
Encyclopedia
The East Midlands Electricity Board (or EMEB) was formed in 1947, one of the 12 area electricity boards specified under the Electricity Act 1947.
It covered a large area: from Chesterfield
in Derbyshire, to Newport Pagnell
(near modern-day Milton Keynes
), in Buckinghamshire
, and from Coventry
in the West to Skegness
in the east. Its head office was on Coppice Road in Arnold, Nottinghamshire
.
, and the CEGB
. In many towns, the board opened showrooms, to provide customer service facilities (such as paying bills), as well as demonstrating, and supplying the latest electrical goods to customers.
The post-war period was one of incredible growth for the electricity industry. The pre-war National Grid system was vastly expanded, and many new power stations were opened, across the region. One major customer was British Rail
. When the West Coast Main Line
was electrified in the 1960s, and the East Coast Main Line
in the 1980s, the electricity boards were required to supply the lines passing through their territory with electricity supplied direct from the National Grid.
chain, in 1994/5. In November 1995, the company split into three divisions of distribution, metering and supply. In 1996, the company was bought by Dominion Resources
for £1.3bn in December 1996. In September 1998, EME's distribution, and supply business was bought by Powergen for £1.9bn, ensuring the business remained vertically integrated. The EME-brand was not replaced until 1999, although the distribution business continued under the EME brand until it merged with Central Networks in 2004.
Supply area
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
in Derbyshire, to Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell
Newport Pagnell is a town in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is separated by the M1 motorway from Milton Keynes itself, though part of the same urban area...
(near modern-day Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
), in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and from Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in the West to Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
in the east. Its head office was on Coppice Road in Arnold, Nottinghamshire
Arnold, Nottinghamshire
Arnold is a suburb of Nottingham, England. It is to the north-east of the city boundary, and is in the local government district of Gedling. It has only had a market since 1968, and had a number of factories associated with the hosiery industry...
.
History
It was required to supply electricity to homes, and businesses, as regulated by the Act, and under terms of reference from the Electricity CouncilElectricity Council
The Electricity Council was a governmental body set up in 1957 to oversee the electricity supply industry in England and Wales. The Council's responsibilities included:...
, and the CEGB
CEGB
The Central Electricity Generating Board was the cornerstone of the British electricity industry for almost 40 years; from 1957, to privatisation in the 1990s....
. In many towns, the board opened showrooms, to provide customer service facilities (such as paying bills), as well as demonstrating, and supplying the latest electrical goods to customers.
The post-war period was one of incredible growth for the electricity industry. The pre-war National Grid system was vastly expanded, and many new power stations were opened, across the region. One major customer was British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. When the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
was electrified in the 1960s, and the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
in the 1980s, the electricity boards were required to supply the lines passing through their territory with electricity supplied direct from the National Grid.
Privatisation
In 1987, the Conservatives' election manifesto committed the party to further privatisation of nationalised industries, and the electricity industry was to be one of these. In March 1990, the board became East Midlands Electricity plc, a new 'regional electricity company'. In December 1990 it floated on the stock market. Although operations continued as usual for a few years, the business began to be separated, and broken up. The electricity showroom and sales business merged with those of other companies into the PowerhousePowerhouse (shop)
Powerhouse was a United Kingdom electrical goods retail chain which went into administration in 2003 and finally entered receivership in August 2006...
chain, in 1994/5. In November 1995, the company split into three divisions of distribution, metering and supply. In 1996, the company was bought by Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources
Dominion Resources Inc. , commonly referred to as Dominion, is a power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia and North Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and eastern North Carolina...
for £1.3bn in December 1996. In September 1998, EME's distribution, and supply business was bought by Powergen for £1.9bn, ensuring the business remained vertically integrated. The EME-brand was not replaced until 1999, although the distribution business continued under the EME brand until it merged with Central Networks in 2004.