Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The use of gas as a power source was unchallenged until the 1870s when the first displays of electricity took place. In 1882 the Electricity Lighting Act gave the right to private companies to obtain permission to dig up streets or use overhead cables, and in 1883 the first power station was constructed at Holborn Viaduct. In these early years many small plants, all using different systems and voltages, were set up.
In 1883 the Grosvenor Gallery set up a private lighting supply for the gallery. Neighbours expressed an interest and the Gallery expanded its supply to an area stretching from the Thames to Regent's Park and from Knightsbridge to the Law Courts. The London Electric Supply Corporation Limited was formed in 1887 to take over the Gallery undertaking. A new site was established at Deptford allowing the Company to expand. This set the pattern for future development of large stations supplying a wider area.
After the Second World War the electricity supply was nationalised, and most of London's electricity companies became part of the London Electricity Board.