Charing Cross and Strand Electricity Supply Corporation
| Formerly | Electricity Supply Corporation (1889) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public limited company |
| Industry | Energy: electricity generation and supply |
| Founded | 12 June 1889 |
| Founder | Sir John and Stefano Gatti |
| Defunct | 31 March 1948 |
| Fate | Nationalisation |
| Successor |
|
| Headquarters | 60 St. Martin's Lane, London |
Area served | City of London and West End |
Key people | see text |
| Services | Generation, distribution and sales of electricity |
| Revenue | see table in text |
The Charing Cross and Strand Electricity Supply Corporation Limited was established in 1889 as a British electricity provider tasked with generating and distributing electric power to areas within the City of Westminster, Holborn, and subsequently the City of London. Beginning in 1925, it collaborated with other companies under the umbrella of the London Power Company. The enterprise was dissolved on 31 March 1948 following nationalisation, with its assets transferred to the British Electricity Authority and the London Electricity Board. Notably, its Bow power station continued operations until 1969.
History
The initiative to supply electric lighting was launched in September 1883 by entrepreneurs Sir John Maria Emilio Gatti and his brother Rocco Joseph Stefano Gatti, proprietors of the Royal Adelphi Theatre and Adelaide Restaurant located in London's West End. They initially installed a modest generating setup in the restaurant’s basement comprising two multi-tubular Field boilers that powered Armington and Sims engines connected to Edison bipolar dynamos capable of illuminating 330 lamps. By 1886, this system had been extended to supply lighting for the Adelphi Theatre. Increasing demand prompted the construction in 1888 of a new generating facility at Bull Inn Court near The Strand. This station housed three Babcock and Wilcox boilers producing steam at 140 psi (9.6 bar), which drove four compound Willans engines linked to Edison-Hopkinson dynamos delivering direct current at 105 volts.
Public electricity supplies
On 12 June 1889, the Electric Supply Corporation was incorporated with powers to provide electricity across parts of Holborn and Westminster. Its service area included the southern section of Holborn Metropolitan Borough—excluding Lincoln's Inn and Staple Inn—as well as the Strand district and St. Martin in the Fields parish within Westminster. The Metropolitan Electric Supply Company Limited contested this, as it already operated within the Strand area. However, the Charing Cross Company highlighted that its low-tension current was more suitable for motive power applications compared to the high-tension supply offered by the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company. The Gatti brothers held positions as directors and shareholders. After acquiring Maiden Lane station, the Electric Supply Corporation soon adopted the name Charing Cross and Strand Electricity Supply Corporation Limited. Rising demand necessitated multiple expansions of Maiden Lane station beginning in 1892.
To increase its output capacity, a new power station was commissioned in 1896 at 85 Commercial Road, Lambeth, situated south of the River Thames. Electrical power was transmitted beneath Hungerford and Waterloo Bridges via underground ducts. This Commercial Road facility had a capacity of 3,600 kW operating at 1,000 volts; voltage reduction to 200 volts for consumer use was achieved through motor–generator sets located at substations in Maiden Lane, Shorts Gardens, Drury Lane, and St. Martins Lane.
By 1897, total generating capacity had reached 2,575 kW with a peak load of 1,377 kW. The company supplied 2,615.51 MWh to a customer base of 719 users operating approximately 107,542 lamps, resulting in revenue amounting to £48,026-16-6d. The following table outlines growth trends:
| Year | No. of 8 candle power lamps | Gross revenue | Net revenue | Units Supplied (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | 29,000 | £20,658 13 8 | £9,997 13 3 | |
| 1893 | 34,570 | £22,303 19 2 | £8,654 8 4 | |
| 1894 | 41,216 | £26,532 0 5 | £10,395 12 9 | |
| 1895 | 51,302 | £28,571 0 1 | £12,587 3 11 | |
| 1896 | 73,464 | £38,804 13 4 | £15,288 15 1 | |
| 1897 | 107,542 | £48,880 17 9 | £18,907 2 11 | |
| 1898 | £59,000 | 3.241 | ||
| 1899 | 182,689 | £69,700 | 3.862 |
In the year 1899, under the provisions of the Electric Lighting Order Confirmation (No. 20) Act 1899, the company secured authorization to provide electricity within the City of London territory in competition with the City of London Electric Lighting Company. A stipulation required construction of a dedicated power station within two years to serve this district effectively. This development facilitated comprehensive electricity provision by the City Corporation. Consequently, a new generating plant was established at Bow in West Ham approximately four miles northeast from Charing Cross; this facility operated as an independent division within Charing Cross.
By the turn of the century in 1900, installed capacity at Lambeth had grown to approximately 6,000 kW with ongoing expansion targeting nearly 9,000 kW. The Lambeth station ceased operations in 1911 upon lease expiration.
Bow power station
Situated on a 7½ acre (3.04 ha) plot along Marshgate Road in Bow, Bow power station commenced operations in 1902. It was the first facility in the United Kingdom to produce 3-phase alternating current at 10 kV and 50 Hz. The initial machinery comprised two Lahmeyer generators rated at 800 kW each and two additional 1600 kW Lahmeyer sets, powered by Bellis and Morcom high-speed engines and Sulzer Bros. engines respectively. Boilers were provided by Richard Hornsby. Shortly after its inauguration, the plant expanded with two more 1600 kW Lahmeyer generators.
Between 1904 and 1905, the station underwent further enlargement with the installation of two 4 MW generators—the largest units nationwide at that period—operated by Sulzer three-cylinder compound engines. Steam generation was handled by Hornsby vertical boilers delivering 140,000 lb/h (17.6 kg/s) of steam at 160 psi (11.0 bar) per boiler set. Cooling needs were met by sixteen fan-driven circular steel cooling towers, each measuring 30 ft (11 m) in diameter and standing 85 ft (26 m) tall. Coal supplies were transported via the River Lea and its adjoining channels.
Electric power was distributed at 10 kV through underground cables reaching areas such as Poplar, Mile End, and Whitechapel. Four substations located in the City and West End—Fenchurch Street, Upper Thames Street, Ludgate Hill, and Beech Street—were equipped with motor-generator sets totaling 8.4 MW capacity for converting to Direct Current for local distribution, supported by battery storage of 1,600 kW. The electrical supply transitioned to a three-wire system delivering voltages of 2 × 200 V.
Following World War I, Bow's original reciprocating engines were gradually replaced with more efficient steam turbines. New Babcock and Wilcox boilers supplied steam at elevated pressures of 270 psi (18.6 bar) and temperatures reaching 650 °F (343 °C).
Operations
In February 1905, the company adopted the name Charing Cross, West End and City Electricity Supply Company Limited to better represent its widened service territory.
As newer generating facilities became operational, older plants with lower efficiency were phased out; notably, the commissioning of Bow power station led to the closure of Lambeth station by 1909.
By 1910, Westminster City Council reverted from electric street lighting provided by the St. James Electric Light Company back to gas lighting; however, the Charing Cross Company maintained operation of 165 arc lamps within Westminster.
A summary table of operational statistics from 1903 through 1936 illustrates increases in generating capacity, peak load demands, customer numbers, and electricity sales:
| Year | Undertaking | Generating capacity, MW | Maximum load, MW | No. of Customers | Electricity generated, GWh | Electricity sold, GWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1903 | West End | 4.4 | 4.28 | ? | 10.32 | 7.19 |
| City | 8.0 | 5.71 | ? | 5.80 | 3.56 | |
| 1905 | West End | 5.25 | 10.63 | 9.75 | ||
| City | 8.98 | 12.74 | 9.75 | |||
| 1906 | West End | 5.35 | 9.92 | |||
| City | 10.57 | 14.59 | ||||
| 1912–13 | West End | 3.76 | 6.33 | 3464 | 39.00 | 12.23 |
| City | 19.72 | 7.38 | 4466 | 15.43 | ||
| 1919 | West End | 2.6 | 7.19 | ? | 41.90 | 12.65 |
| City | 20.9 | 9.4 | ? | 17.54 | ||
| 1923–24 | West End | 2.60 | 10.92 | 4602 | 2.70 + 21.41 purchased | 18.98 |
| City | 30.5 | 24.93 | 5696 | 52.13 | 45.02 | |
| 1931 | West End
?|? ?|? 3.72 + 46.57 purchased 39.27 | |||||
| City
?|? ?|? 0 + 52.24 purchased 43.50 | ||||||
| 1936 | West End
6.4 48.99 5394 55.08 + 133.8 purchased 54.35 | |||||
| City
6220 62.11 |
Starting in the early 1920s, interconnected networks facilitated bulk electricity trading; for instance, in 1923 West End’s generating capacity of 2.6 MW was augmented by transformer capacity of 10.7 MW for imported power.
In that year, Bow power station operated a combination of turbo and reciprocating generators with a total capacity of 36.52 MW supported by boilers producing steam at a rate of 575,000 lb/hr; smaller oil-fueled DC generators were also active at St Martins Lane and Shorts Gardens.
By 1925, Bow underwent reconstruction featuring two turbo alternators rated at 6,000 kW each and two others rated at 12,500 kW supplied by English Electric and Fraser & Chalmers.
In 1928 new substations were commissioned in Soho Square (1,500 kW) and Aldwych (3,000 kW), while Shorts Gardens added a diesel engine with a capacity of 1,200 kW housed within a distinctive red brick structure still standing as of 2020.
Demand escalated significantly by 1931 due to large-scale construction projects involving extensive lighting installations across both the City and West End.
By mid-1930s the company managed fourteen substations located throughout central London including Maiden Lane, Short's Gardens, St Martins Lane, Chancery Lane, Soho Square, Aldwych, Trafalgar Buildings, Fenchurch Street, Upper Thames Street, Ludgate Hill, Seacoal Lane, Beech Street, Broad Street, and Smithfield Market.
During the years 1936–37 St Martin's Lane substation operated three generator sets ranging from 575 kW to 1,200 kW capacity; it produced approximately 2.38 MWh before suffering extensive damage during wartime bombing raids.
Financial
In 1903, the Charing Cross Company set its rates for private electricity at 3.78 d./kWh and public lighting at 1.77 d./kWh, both figures being lower than the City of London Company’s corresponding charges of 3.87 and 1.98 d./kWh.
By 1912–13, a more complex tariff structure was introduced. In the West End, street lighting was billed at 2.02 d./kWh, private lighting at 3.15 d./kWh; power and heat supplied to the Borough Council were charged at 1.22 d./kWh, while private customers paid 1.51 d./kWh. Within the City district, rates stood at 2.37 d./kWh for various public lighting, 3.14 d./kWh for private lighting, 0.93 d./kWh for borough council power and heat, and 1.51 d./kWh for private consumers.
By 1918, the tariff system was streamlined: in the West End, public lighting cost 3.47 d./kWh, private lighting was priced at 6.26 d./kWh, and power and heat were charged at 2.45 d./kWh; in the City area, private lighting was billed at 6.64 d./kWh with power and heat at 2.31 d./kWh.
From 1912 through to 1936, financial records reveal consistent revenue growth despite increasing operational expenses:
| Year | Undertaking | Revenue | Expenditure | Gross surplus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912–13 | West End | £146,265 | £57,564 | £79,801 |
| City | £148,513 | £72,697 | £66,673 | |
| 1919 | West End | £262,950 | £152,911 | £96,789 |
| City | £330,981 | £258,250 | £60,327 | |
| 1921 | West End | £312,500 | £212,116 | |
| City | £438,772 | |||
| 1922 | West End | £333,000 | £187,000 | |
| City | £437,002 | |||
| 1936 | West End | £410,674 | £296,735 | £190,740 |
| City | £388,618 | £265,286 | £184,449 |
The notable increase in expenditure between 1913 and 1919 corresponds with rising commodity prices; coal expenses escalated from less than £40,000 in 1914 to £157,000 by 1919.
Throughout its operation period, shareholders consistently received dividends. The dividend returns as a percentage of capital raised compared favorably against averages for London electricity companies:
| Year | 1892–1905 (selected) | 1906–1919 (selected) |
|---|---|---|
| West End dividend % | 4.75 to 7.43 (range over years) | 4.16 to 5.12 (range over years) |
| City dividend % | N/A to 3.65 (from 1900) | 3.37 consistently from 1906 onward |
| London average dividend % | 2.10 to 5.79 (range over years) | 4.68 to 5.76 (range over years) |
This reliable dividend performance highlights the company’s robust financial position throughout shifting market circumstances.
Amalgamation and joint working
In 1920, Charing Cross joined forces with eight other firms to establish the London Electricity Joint Committee, aiming to resist restructuring proposals put forward by the Electricity Commissioners. This committee took ownership of Bow generating station along with its transmission infrastructure. The company changed its name in 1924 to Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company Limited and began supplying electricity wholesale to the Smithfield Markets Electric Supply Company.
The formation of the London Power Company (LPC) in 1925 under the London Electricity (No. 2) Act 1925 involved Charing Cross and several other entities pooling their generation assets under unified management while maintaining separate customer supply operations.
Effective from January 1st, 1937, Charing Cross absorbed five additional undertakings—Brompton and Kensington, Chelsea, Kensington and Knightsbridge, St. James and Pall Mall, and Westminster—to better coordinate electricity distribution across central London areas. Subsequently renamed Central London Electricity Limited, all shares were held by London Associated Electricity Undertakings Limited. The supply territory encompassed Chelsea, the City of London, southern Holborn, southern Kensington, and eastern Westminster. Nonetheless, this consolidation did not attract wider participation from other London electricity companies which limited comprehensive planning integration.
Following nationalisation in 1948, Central London Electricity Limited was dissolved; its generation facilities and principal transmission assets—including Bow power station—were transferred initially to the British Electricity Authority (1948–55), then passed to the Central Electricity Authority (1955–57), and finally came under control of the Central Electricity Generating Board (1958–69). Distribution networks and customer supply operations were assigned to the London Electricity Board.
Post-nationalisation
By 1954, Bow power station featured a generator capacity of 51.5 MW. It utilized chain grate stoked boilers that generated steam at a rate of 785,000 lb/hr (98.9 kg/s) under conditions of 250 psi (17.2 bar) and 343 °C. That year, coal consumption reached 23,600 tons. The thermal efficiency measured 13.6% in 1954 but declined to 9.84% by the time the station was decommissioned.
Between 1946 and 1968, electricity generation (in GWh) experienced variations, with significant reductions during the late 1950s and inconsistent output throughout the 1960s.
Operations at Bow power station ended in 1969, after which the facility was dismantled.
The Shorts Gardens substation housed internal combustion engines until the early 1960s, including one oil engine rated at 550 kW and two others at 1,125 kW each. Functioning as a peak shaving facility with a total capacity of 2.8 MW in 1954, it operated for 604 hours and produced 287 MWh. Although operational hours decreased by 1961, the capacity remained similar, with annual generation fluctuating between 62 and 252 MWh during the early 1960s. As of 2020, UK Power Networks occupies the building.
Key people
The directors of the Charing Cross Company in 1903 included:
- Sir William Francis Fladgate (1853–1937), serving as chairman
- G.H. Brougham Glasier, vice-chairman
- Sir John M. Gatti (1872–1929), managing director through at least 1928
- Stefano Gatti
- Richard Chadwick
Edward Wilmot Seale held the position of Company Secretary before being succeeded by Cecil G. Stanesby. W.H. Patchell fulfilled the role of Engineer-in-Chief. The company’s office was situated at 60 St. Martin's Lane, London, WC. The Gatti family’s involvement in electricity provision is honoured with a Green Plaque located in the Strand.
Company names
Throughout its history, the company operated under various titles:
- Electric Supply Corporation (from June 1889)
- Charing Cross and Strand Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (1889–1905)
- Charing Cross, West End and City Electricity Supply Company Limited (1905–1924)
- Charing Cross Electricity Supply Company Limited (1924–1937)
- Central London Electricity Limited (1937–1948)