# North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company

The North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company provided electricity to the northern suburbs of London and to parts of Hertfordshire and Essex. Supplies of electricity commenced in 1907 and continued until the company was abolished in 1948 when the British electricity supply industry was nationalized.

## Background

The North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company (Northmet) was established in 1900 under the provisions of the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. cclxxvi). The act empowered the company to construct a power station at Enfield (Brimsdown) and to supply electricity to the boroughs and towns of: Hendon, Barnet, Edmonton, Ware, Hertford, Hatfield, Welwyn, St. Albans, Chingford and Walthamstow. This encompassed an area of 325 square miles. Further Acts of 1902, 1903, 1905, 1907 and 1909 extended the area of supply and permitted the company to purchase the power station at Willesden (Taylors Lane). Electric current was first supplied to Edmonton on 1 July 1907.

### Directors

The directors of the company in 1923 were:
* Emile Garcke (chairman)
* William L Magden
* Sir Alexander Roger
* Charles G. Tegetmeier
* Sir James Devonshire (managing director)

### Associated companies

The North Metropolitan Power Station Company Limited owned Brimsdown power station which was operated under lease by the Northmet Power Company.
The North Metropolitan Electrical Power Distribution Company was registered on 19 April 1899. It was formed to supply electricity, which it took from a bulk supply from the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company. Electricity was supplied to Hertford, Barnet, Enfield and St. Albans. The distribution company was vested into the Northmet Electric Power Company in December 1922.

## Operations

Before the First World War Northmet was supplying tramway systems, the underground railway as well as several boroughs and towns.
The electricity sold, and the revenue, over the period 1908-12 was as follows.
Electricity sales and revenue 1908-12 :
| Year | Revenue £ | Working cost £ | Units sold MWh |
| 1908 | 74,304 | 43,150 | 14,069 |
| 1909 | 87,833 | 44,491 | 16,402 |
| 1910 | 111,309 | 50,185 | 21,422 |
| 1911 | 131,131 | 60,590 | 26,454 |
| 1912 | 140,522 | 71,292 | 29,231 |
By 1915 Northmet was operating power stations at Brimsdown, Willesden (Taylors Lane), Hertford and St. Albans. Outline details of these stations is summarised in the table, for full details see articles for individual power stations (See also below).
Northmet power stations 1915 :
| Station | Brimsdown | Willesden | Hertford | St. Albans |
| Steam lb/hr | 130,000 | 98,250 | 3 boilers | |
| Generators | 3 × 1 MW 1 × 2 MW 1 × 3 MW 2 × 100 kW 2 × 50 kW | 2 × 300 kW 1 × 600 kW 1 × 750 kW 1 × 1 MW 2 × 1.2 MW 1 × 3 MW | 3 × 100 kW 1 × 500 kW 1 × 200 kW | 4 × 48 kW 4 × 48 kW 2 × 36 kW |
| Supply | 10,500 V 3-phase, 50 Hz | 10,500 V 3-phase, 50 Hz 2,750-2,950 V 3-phase 50 Hz | LT and HT | |
| Cooling | | Spray cooling and 5 chimney cooling towers | | Klein cooling towers |
In the interwar period Northmet developed domestic, commercial and industrial consumers. By 1939 it employed 4,300 staff, had 4,648 miles of mains spread over an area of 671 square miles and served a population of 1.5 million.
The specification of the Northmet generating plant in 1923 is outlined below.
Northmet power stations 1923 :
| Station | Brimsdown | Willesden | Hertford | St. Albans |
| Steam lb/hr | 290,000 | 248,000 | 24,000 | 18,000 |
| Generators | 1 × 3 MW 2 × 5 MW (Total 13 MW AC) | 3 × 1.5 MW 1 × 3 MW 2 × 6 MW 1 × 0.75 MW DC (Total 19.5 MW AC, 0.75 MW DC) | 1 × 0.5 MW 1 × 1.0 MW 1 × 0.1 MW DC (Total 1.5 MW AC, 0.1 MW DC) | 2 × 75 kW DC 2 × 150 kW DC 2 × 240 kW DC 1 × 500 kW DC (Total 1.43MW DC) |
| Supply | 3-phase, 50 Hz, 11 & 6.6 kV, 415 & 240 V and DC 460 & 230 V DC | 3-phase, 50 Hz, 11 & 6.6 kV, 415 & 240 V and DC 460 & 230 V DC | 3-phase, 50 Hz, 415 & 240 V AC and 460 & 230V DC | 3-phase, 50 Hz 415 & 240 V AC and 460 & 230V DC |
| Maximum load kW | 26,500 | 26,500 | 630 | 1,322 |
| Total electricity sold MWh | 62,315 | 62,315 | 838 | 1,982 |
A summary of the generating capacity of the Northmet system in 1937 is shown on the following table.
Northmet electricity generation and sales 1937 :
| Station | Brimsdown A | Brimsdown B | Willesden |
| Steam lb/hr | 160,000 | 120,000 | 414,000 |
| Generators total | 34 MW | 107.5 MW | 38.5 MW |
| Maximum load kW | 235,980 | 235,980 | 235,980 |
| Total electricity sold MWh | 636,585 | 636,585 | 636,585 |
The authorized undertakings supplied by Northmet were Barnet, Bishops Stortford, Edmonton, Enfield, Hertford, Kingsbury, St. Albans, Southgate, Stevenage, Tottenham, Wood Green, Epping Rural, Harrow, and Wealdstone.
Northmet electricity output in the post-war period was as follows.
Northmet electricity sent out 1946-50 :
| MWh | Brimsdown A | Brimsdown B | Willesden |
| 1946 | 96,643 | 490,564 | 223,694 |
| 1947 | 123,754 | 463,339 | 185,573 |
| 1948 | 172,286 | 427,661 | 282,544 |
| 1950 | 157,207 | 488,663 | 201,650 |

## Abolition

The North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company was abolished on 31 March 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 which nationalized the British electricity supply industry. The generating plant was vested in the British Electricity Authority and the distribution infrastructure in the Eastern Electricity Board.
Generation of electricity at Willesden (Taylors Lane) and Brimsdown power stations continued until 1972 and 1976 respectively.