Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited
The Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited was established in 1881 to build and operate an electric lighting installation in Leamington Spa and Birmingham, England. It was abolished upon nationalization of the electricity supply industry in 1948.
| Type | Public limited |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity supply |
| Founded | 12 December 1881 |
| Defunct | 1 April 1948 |
| Fate | Nationalisation |
| Successor | Midland Electricity Board |
| Headquarters | London (1915) |
Area served | Midlands |
Key people | See text |
| Products | Electricity |
| Revenue | See text |
History
The Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited was registered on 12 December 1881 to take over a concession for an electric lighting installation in Leamington Spa and Birmingham.[1]
The capacity of the generating plant in 1898 was 290 kW, with a maximum load of 127 kW on a low tension continuous current (DC) system.[1]
The total plant capacity was 524 kW in 1915. The generating plant comprised a Belliss engine coupled to an E. C. Company generator and 3 Robey compound condensing engines coupled to Chamberlain-Hookham generators. There was 12½ miles of mains supplying 520 customers.[2]
In the early 1920s the company abandoned the generation of electricity in favour of purchasing it in bulk.[3] In 1923 it purchased 907.627 MWh to supply a maximum load was 607 kW. The revenue was £18,532, the cost was £11,547 giving a surplus of £6,985.[3] There were 2,135 connections on the system.[3]
The total capital of the Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited was owned by the Midland Counties Electric Supply Company Limited by 1926.[4]
In the late 1930s electricity was received and distributed through four sites: Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, South Warwickshire and Warwick.[5] There were 12,354 connections with a maximum load of 3,944 kW. Key operating data are shown in the table.[5]
| Sub-station | Expenditure £ | Income £ | Electricity sold MWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenilworth | 36,632 | 3,722 | 816 |
| Leamington Spa | 187,658 | 43,553 | 3,442 |
| South Warwickshire | 35,721 | 5,937 | 763 |
| Warwick | 78,638 | 16,512 | 1,585 |
| Total | 338,647 | 74,724 | 6,586 |
Key people
The directors were A. H. Beatty, William Shearer, and F. Thursfield; the Chief Engineer was Percy Olver (1898).[1]
Arthur Chamberlain and George Hookham (1915).[2]
Abolition
The Midland Electric Light and Power Company Limited was abolished in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 which nationalised the electricity supply industry.[6] The main distribution system was vested in the Midlands Electricity Board.
References
- Garcke, Emile (1899). Manual of Electrical undertakings, 1898-99 Vol 3. London: Electrical Press Limited. p. 248.
- Garcke, Emile (1916). Manual of Electrical undertakings, 1914-15 Vol 18. London: Electrical Press Limited. p. 703.
- Electricity Commission (1925). Electricity Supply 1920-22. London: HMSO. pp. E180-83, F454-59.
- "Midland Counties Electric Supply Company Limited". The Times. 13 October 1926. p. 20.
- Electricity Commission (1939). Electricity Supply 1937-38. London: HMSO. pp. E212-15, F552-577.
- The Electricity Council (1987). Electricity Supply in the United Kingdom. London: The Electricity Council. p. 60. ISBN 085188105X.