Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electricity supply |
| Founded | Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (1889) |
| Founder | Charles Algernon Parsons |
| Defunct | 1 April 1948 |
| Fate | Nationalised |
| Successor | North Eastern Electricity Board |
| Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 4 power stations (1908) |
Area served | West of Newcastle upon Tyne to border at Throckley |
Key people | Charles Algernon Parsons, Managing director. William Dods Hunter, Company engineer, later Managing Director. |
The Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company (DISCo) was a private electricity provider operating prior to nationalisation, headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. Established in 1889 by Charles Algernon Parsons, the enterprise constructed several small coal-powered generating stations across western Newcastle to deliver electric lighting for residential areas, public streets, and a tram system powered by electricity.
Notably, DISCo was the pioneer worldwide in implementing turbo generator technology, utilizing Parsons' groundbreaking invention of the steam turbine. The company continued operations until the UK's electricity supply sector was nationalised in 1948.
History
Following his 1884 invention of the steam turbine, Charles Algernon Parsons launched the Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company (DISCo) in 1889 to engage in electrical distribution. DISCo provided service to the western side of Grainger Street in Newcastle, while the contemporaneously founded Newcastle-upon-Tyne Electric Supply Company (NESCo) covered the eastern districts. DISCo extended its reach westward to Newburn in 1902 and northward to areas including Benwell and Fenham by 1904; however, further territorial growth was impeded due to Parliamentary rulings favoring NESCo.
The company's inaugural facility was the Forth Banks station, commissioned in 1890 as the first commercial electricity generator powered by a steam turbine globally. Subsequent plants encompassed The Close (1902), Lemington (1903), and Newburn (1908), all employing steam turbines manufactured by Parsons' firm, C. A. Parsons and Company.
Parsons held the managing director position until 1902 before transitioning to a directorial role until his retirement in 1909. While most electric supply companies in the North East merged into NESCo during 1932, DISCo preserved its autonomy until it was integrated into the North Eastern Electricity Board (NEEB) following the nationalisation of Britain's electricity industry under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947.