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West Kent Electric Company Ltd

The Kent Power Acts 1902 and 1906 incorporated the Kent Electric Power Company, who was authorised to supply electricity in all of Kent, except the Isle of Thanet.  Shortly after the West Kent Electric Company Limited was incorporated on 11 November 1908 and, by the West Kent Electric Power Act 1909, given authority to supply electricity to all of Kent west and north west of the districts of Northfleet, Strood, Malling and Sevenoaks (except Stone and Swanscombe).  This apprently did not include the areas served by municipal electric companies like Gravesend.  By 1930 it had become under the management of the County of London Electric Power Company.  The WKEC bought its power from the County of London's station at Barking, but in 1939 said they would be also using the Littlebrook Power Station at Dartford when that came on line.  The County of London Electric Power Company had part ownership of WKEC but a controlling interest was owned by the South Metropolitan Light and Power Company since at least 1917, part of whose shares were in turn owned by the County of London company.  The company was one of 50 merged into the South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEBOARD) on nationalisation vesting day, 1 April 1948.

Because of the area given to them in the West Kent Electric Power Act 1909, they were able to prevent the Gravesend Municipal Electric Company bringing electricity to Longfield and Hartley in 1925, seven years before our area finally got mains.

Most of the company's annual reports are filed in the London Metropolitan Archives, but are often very short on detail, the report for 1932 saw no need to mention the introduction of mains electricity to Hartley, for example.  If all the 37,259 customers in 1939 were households, the average household consumption would be 3,400 KWh per year, compared with 4,800 KWh today.  However the customer figure is likely to include businesses with higher consumption, so household usage is likely to be lower.

Year

Customers

Electricity Units Sold

Max supply demanded

Price of Electricity Sold

Notes

1911

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Electricity extended to Hayes Road, Bromley

1912

n/a

n/a

n/a

£297

 

1913

n/a

n/a

n/a

£405

 

1914

59

see note

n/a

£1,482

16,482 x 35W lamp equivalent sold

1915

531

see note

n/a

£12,774

3,018 Horse Power (1 HP = 746W)

1916

1,062

see note

n/a

£26,509

3,989 Horse Power

1917

1,092

see note

n/a

£44,344

5,599 Horse Power

1918

n/a

n/a

n/a

£90,714

 

1919

n/a

n/a

n/a

£41,330

 

1920

n/a

n/a

n/a

£52,906

 

1921

n/a

n/a

n/a

£45,958

 

1922

n/a

n/a

n/a

£39,420

 

1923

n/a

n/a

n/a

£39,380

 

1924

n/a

n/a

n/a

£38,282

 

1925

n/a

n/a

n/a

£41,990

 

1926

n/a

n/a

n/a

£54,309

 

1927

n/a

n/a

n/a

£55,661

 

1928

n/a

15.27 million KWh

n/a

£67,894

Kilowatt Hours expressed as "Board of Trade Units"

1929

n/a

22.52 million KWh

n/a

£88,432

 

1930

n/a

26.40 million KWh

n/a

£104,877

Supply extended to Birchwood Road, Birchwood Corner, Swanley, Farningham, Eynsford, Wilmington, Swanley Village, Hextable, Clement Street; new showroom at Orpington.

1931

7,223

28.02 million KWh

10,460 KW

n/a

Annual report missing

1932

9,013

33.83 million KWh

11,067 KW

£144,099

Reductions in flat rate tariff for lighting

1933

12,163

41.24 million KWh

13,550 KW

£172,473

Supply extended to Hextable, Green Street Green; work in hand for Biggin Hill

1934

15,794

50.77 million KWh

15,800 KW

£205,223

 

1935

19,701

63.45 million KWh

20,553 KW

£255,204

Supply extended to Knockholt, Horton Kirby, Chelsfield.  Reductions in tariff for much of Dartford Rural area including Hartley, Longfield and Ash

1936

25,074

81.39 million KWh

27,982 KW

£314,751

Supply extended to Kingsdown, Ash, Fawkham, Downe, Sutton at Hone, Hodsoll Street and Leaves Green.  Greater facilities to buy wash boilers and fridges on HP.

1937

29,858

99.24 million KWh

36,950 KW

£385,402

Supply extended to Cudham, Crokenhill, Maplescombe, South Ash, Upper Ruxley

1938

34,742

114.73 million KWh

49,536 KW

£449,115

Supply extended to South Darenth, Hockenden, Horns Green, Letts Green and Single Street.  Reduction in rates for supply

1939

37,259

126.51 million KWh

41,752 KW

£494,320

Reinforcement of transmission system by establishment of

1940

n/a

132.91 million KWh

48,219 KW

n/a

Annual report missing

1941

n/a

137.74 million KWh

44,966 KW

£601,419

 

1942

n/a

141.57 million KWh

44,966 KW

£634,178

 

1943

n/a

143.58 million KWh

44,873 KW

£655,440

 

1944

n/a

155.41 million KWh

47,815 KW

£719,940

 

1945

n/a

164.36 million KWh

54,171 KW

£780,923

 

1946

n/a

201.80 million KWh

62,863 KW

£923,624

 

1947

n/a

208.06 million KWh

67,156 KW

£957,567

 

 

Sources

Times 1 March 1917, 25 July 1938, 13 December 1938, 19 June 1939