Western Power Distribution

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
<h3>Formation</h3>
<p>In 1998, WPD South West was formed from the demerger of the electricity distribution arm of <a href="/facts/SWEB/7B4j0Pmv">SWEB</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> In September 2000, the American energy company <a href="/facts/PPL_Corporation/3m9UQuIo">PPL Corporation</a> purchased <a href="/facts/Hyder_(defunct_company)/89aSzXQy">Hyder</a> for £565m and sold <a href="/facts/Welsh_Water/DTvmpr84">Welsh Water</a> and other interests, leaving the electricity distribution arm <a href="/facts/Infralec/SEVymV3h">Infralec</a> which was renamed WPD South Wales.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> In April 2011, PPL purchased Central Networks (the distribution network operator for the East and West Midlands)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> from <a href="/facts/E.ON_UK/oMBm8hDU">E.ON</a> for £3.5 billion and rebranded it as WPD Midlands.
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<h3>2022 redress payment</h3>
<p>In May 2022, WPD made a £14.9 million voluntary redress payment after an investigation by industry regulator <a href="/facts/Ofgem/DlfFELBm">Ofgem</a> found shortfalls in the company's implementation of its obligations to vulnerable customers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
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<h3>Acquisition by National Grid</h3>
<p>Western Power Distribution was a subsidiary of PPL for many years.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> In August 2020, PPL announced an intention to sell WPD.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> In March 2021, PPL announced a swap with National Grid in which it divested WPD and acquired Narragansett Electric of Rhode Island.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The acquisition was completed in June 2021,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> and approved by the <a href="/facts/Competition_and_Markets_Authority/0TdndUvG">Competition and Markets Authority</a> in September of that year.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> In September 2022, the company was renamed to National Grid Electricity Distribution.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a>
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<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://westernpower.co.uk">Official website</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Who owns whom in the UK electricity industry" (PDF). Catalyst Commercial. Electricity Association. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2005 – via Internet Archive. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050508132703/http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/who_owns_whom.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20050508132703/http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/who_owns_whom.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"Who owns whom in the UK electricity industry" (PDF). Catalyst Commercial. Electricity Association. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2005 – via Internet Archive. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20050508132703/http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/who_owns_whom.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20050508132703/http://www.catalyst-commercial.co.uk/who_owns_whom.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"Hyder faces fresh battle". BBC News. 18 August 2000. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/885873.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/885873.stm</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"City briefs". The Telegraph. 20 February 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2023. <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2877512/City-briefs.html" target="_blank">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2877512/City-briefs.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Grundy, Alice (4 May 2022). "WPD pays £14.9m for failing vulnerable customers". Current. Retrieved 26 September 2022. <a href="https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/wpd-pays-14-9m-for-failing-vulnerable-customers" target="_blank">https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/wpd-pays-14-9m-for-failing-vulnerable-customers</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Western Power Distribution, PPLWeb.com <a href="http://www.pplweb.com/ppl+global/international+operations/Western+Power+Distribution.htm" target="_blank">http://www.pplweb.com/ppl+global/international+operations/Western+Power+Distribution.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:7"><p>"WPD put up for sale by US owner PPL as it looks to reposition its portfolio". Current News. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020. <a href="https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/wpd-put-up-for-sale-by-us-owner-ppl-as-it-looks-to-reposition-its-portfolio" target="_blank">https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/wpd-put-up-for-sale-by-us-owner-ppl-as-it-looks-to-reposition-its-portfolio</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:8"><p>Armitage, Jim (18 March 2021). "National Grid to quit gas in major shift to green electricity". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 March 2021. <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/business/national-grid-to-quit-gas-in-major-shift-to-green-electricity-with-ps18-billion-deal-flurry-b924846.html" target="_blank">https://www.standard.co.uk/business/national-grid-to-quit-gas-in-major-shift-to-green-electricity-with-ps18-billion-deal-flurry-b924846.html</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:9"><p>"Acquisition completion: Western Power Distribution - 11:06:23 14 Jun 2021 - NG". London Stock Exchange. Retrieved 16 June 2021. <a href="https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/NG./acquisition-completion-western-power-distribution/15016423" target="_blank">https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/NG./acquisition-completion-western-power-distribution/15016423</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:10"><p>John, Adam (2 September 2021). "CMA clears National Grid's acquisition of WPD". Utility Week. Retrieved 26 September 2022. <a href="https://utilityweek.co.uk/cma-clears-national-grids-acquisition-of-wpd/" target="_blank">https://utilityweek.co.uk/cma-clears-national-grids-acquisition-of-wpd/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:11"><p>"National Grid Electricity Distribution plc". Companies House. Retrieved 26 September 2022. <a href="https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09223384" target="_blank">https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09223384</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Western Power Distribution open-in-new

Western Power Distribution