Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (the trading name of Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution Limited, Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc and Southern Electric Power Distribution plc) is one of two energy companies in the UK to be involved both in

electricity transmission Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is d ...

and

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations * Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

. The company forms part of the

SSE plc SSE plc (formerly Scottish and Southern Energy plc) is a multinational energy company headquartered in Perth, Scotland. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. SSE operates in the United Kingdom and ...

group, which is listed on the

London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...

and is a constituent of the

FTSE 100 Index The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with (in principle) the highest market ...

. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks manages two distribution networks and one transmission network. The company manages two of the fourteen distribution licenses in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. The company's electricity distribution and transmission networks carry

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

to over 3.7 million homes and businesses across the north of the Central Belt of Scotland, as well as Central Southern England. The company operates in the United Kingdom with head offices in

Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population o ...

and

Reading, England Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...

History

Origins

The company has its origins in two

public sector The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...

electricity supply authorities. Scottish Hydroelectric, founded as the

North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (1943–1990) was founded to design, construct and manage hydroelectricity projects in the Highlands of Scotland. It is regarded as one of the major achievements of Scottish politician Thomas Johnston, w ...

in 1943, was established to design, construct and manage

hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...

projects in the

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, and took over a further generation and distribution responsibilities when the UK's electricity industry was nationalized in 1948.

Southern Electric Southern Electric plc was a public limited energy company in the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1998, when it merged with Scottish Hydro-Electric plc to form Scottish and Southern Energy plc (now SSE plc). The company had its origins in the so ...

, founded as

Southern Electricity Board Southern Electric plc was a public limited energy company in the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1998, when it merged with Scottish Hydro-Electric plc to form Scottish and Southern Energy plc (now SSE plc). The company had its origins in the so ...

in 1948, was created to distribute electricity in Southern England. While the Southern Electricity Board was a distribution-only authority with no power generation capacity of its own, the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board was a broader spectrum organisation which did have power-generating capabilities. Because of its history and location, the Hydroelectric Board was responsible for most of the UK's hydroelectric generating capacity. Both authorities were privatized and re-branded in 1990/91, initially retaining their pre-privatization geographic and functional bases.

Post-privatization

In 1998, Scottish and Southern Energy was formed following a merger between Scottish Hydroelectric and Southern Electric. This part of the SSE plc group is now referred to as Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

Rebranding

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Van

In September 2016, the well-known trading names of Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD), Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD), Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHET), and Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD), merged into a single trading entity known as the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks. The licensee names of the four did not change. As part of the rebranding, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks changed their logo, color scheme, imagery set, social media channels, and website. They also introduced a new company motto centred around being a part of the community they serve: "Powering our Community."

Partnerships

In November 2022, SSE sold a 25% stake in SSEN Transmission (the trading name for Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission) to

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (french: Régime de retraite des enseignantes et des enseignants de l'Ontario) is an independent organization responsible for administering defined-benefit pensions for school teachers of the Canadian pr ...

.{{Cite web , last=Dias Marins , first=Lena , date=2022-11-25 , title=SSEN Transmission sells 25% stake for £1.465 billion as SSE extends partnering approach , url=https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/ssen-transmission-sells-25-stake-for-1-465-billion-as-sse-extends-partnering-approach , access-date=2022-11-27 , website=Current , language=en-gb

Operations

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks operate the economically regulated electricity distribution and transmission networks across the north of the Central Belt of Scotland and also Central Southern England, delivering power to 3.7 million homes. With a work force of over 4,000 working from 85 depots and offices, they look after a network that consists of: * 130,000 km of overhead lines and underground cables * 106,000 substations * Over 100 subsea cables, powering island communities such as

Orkney Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

and

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrid ...

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks—Central Southern England

The Central Southern England network is the larger of two distribution networks and delivers electrical supplies to over 12.9 million customers across central southern England. The operational region ranges from rural communities in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

and

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

to towns and cities including

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

Slough Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...

Swindon Swindon () is a town and unitary authority with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Wiltshire, England. As of the 2021 Census, the population of Swindon was 201,669, making it the largest town in the county. The Swindon un ...

and in parts of

West London West London is the western part of London, England, north of the River Thames, west of the City of London, and extending to the Greater London boundary. The term is used to differentiate the area from the other parts of London: North London ...

. They also distribute electricity to and across the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks—Northern Scotland

The Northern Scotland network is the smaller of the two, and delivers electricity to some 740,000 customers. This operating region covers a quarter of the UK landmass, and has challenges both regarding distance and location. As well as the major towns and cities of

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

Dundee Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

and

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, they connect to most Scottish islands with over 100 subsea cable links, including the Inner and Outer

, Arran and the

Orkney Islands Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...

. They also serve the

Shetland Islands Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...

, which runs as a separate electrical system without a connection to the mainland.

Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission (SHE Transmission)

Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission owns and maintains the 132 kV and 275 kV electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland, in some of the UK's most challenging geographical terrains. Some of their circuits are situated over 750 meters above sea level and or up to 250 km long. The operating area contains a vast renewable energy resource, utilized in forms such as wind and marine generation. These generators are all dependent on SHE Transmission for transportation to the load centers to the south.

Independent distribution network operator

In addition to the

distribution network operator A distribution network operator (DNO), also known as a distribution system operator (DSO), is the operator of the electric power distribution system which delivers electricity to most end users. Each country may have many local distribution networ ...

s who are licensed for a specific geographic area, there are also independent distribution network operators (IDNOs). IDNOs own and operate electricity distribution networks, which are predominantly network extensions connected to an existing distribution network. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks also provides distribution services in South Scotland as an IDNO and in all other English and Welsh areas.

Services

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks provides a number of services across its distribution areas. In the event of a power outage, it is the responsibility of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to repair the fault and get power back on for affected areas. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks also has a Priority Services Register to support customers with disabilities or particular vulnerabilities in the event of a power outage. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has a team dedicated to dealing with non-emergency electricity network jobs in central southern England and northern Scotland. These services range from shrouding overhead power cables to locating underground electricity cables so that those cables can be worked around safely. A spokesperson for the Energy Networks Association said “The charges for connection applications have been introduced following a recent government consultation, which found that the majority of industry supported the change."

Economically-regulated businesses

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks transmits and distributes electricity to around 3.7 million businesses, offices, and homes through some 130,000 kilometres of overhead lines and underground cables. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks are regulated by the

Office of Gas and Electricity Markets , type = Non-ministerial government department , nativename = , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ofgem logo.svg , logo_width = 124px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_wid ...

(Ofgem). SSE transmit the Electricity via their poles that are usually situated on private land, not belonging to SSE. In this instance SSE must use a legal process called 'Wayleave' to access the property. The land owners have the ultimate right to refuse wayleave, or charge them a reasonable rate for the usage of the land. Currently SSE offer £8.77 a year for a pole on NFU land, although private land owners with no easement on deeds have the option to legally refuse this and have SSE remove their equipment.

Controversy

* In 2013 SSE were found guilty of misleading customers and fined a record (at the time) £10.5M by Ofgem. * Shortly after this, Head of SSE at the time Ian Marchant, on an £840,000 salary, left the company with a £400,000 pension plan. * In 2020 SSE were fined £2m by Ofgem over inside information in the energy markets. * In 2021 SSE are pressing ahead with the UKs largest offshore windfarm in Shetland, despite heavy local opposition.

References

External links

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks – Transmission

SSE plc
Electric power companies of Scotland Electric power transmission system operators in the United Kingdom