It's all change for YE name

Utility company npower, which acquired the business in April 2001, has decided to brand Yorkshire Electricity and Northern Electric and Gas under its own title.

Following the acquisition, the business had continued to use the Yorkshire Electricity name with an added line "powered by npower" underneath it to get customers used to the change.

Sue Newton, regional public relations manager for npower, said it was time to change.

She said: "Based on extensive market research, we now feel the time is right to bring all our customers in the UK together under one strong national brand which will avoid confusion, particularly with Yorkshire Electricity Distribution which is a separate company, and help customers to understand the increased benefits they get from being an npower customer.

"All our customers will be informed via bill inserts and/or direct mail of the change to the brand name during the first quarter of 2003."

The Yorkshire Electricity Board was formed in 1948 when the electricity supply industry was nationalised. It was formed by bringing together 50 private and local authority supply groups.

Lord Citrine, the then chairman of the British Electricity Authority, officially opened the Board's Scarcroft Lodge headquarters on May 28, 1948. The Board supplied electricity to homes and businesses across the region from 1948 to 1990.

The firm, which became Yorkshire Electricity Group plc in 1990, floated on the stock exchange in December 1990.

During the 1990s the new deregulated competitive energy market opened up, allowing Yorkshire Electricity to sell both gas and electricity not only in Yorkshire but across the country.

In April 1997, Yorkshire Electricity was taken over by AEP and PS Colorado - now known as New Century Energies.

In April 2001, Innogy, npower's parent company purchased Yorkshire Electricity and in September 2001, Innogy acquired Northern Electric's supply business in exchange for Yorkshire Electricity's distribution business.