npower's history

Our History

1986 
Pre-privatisation the UK’s power generation and national grid assets were owned and run by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB)

De-regulation of the gas industry from state ownership and control

1990
Privatisation of the electricity supply industry. CEGB split into National Power, Powergen, National Grid Company, Nuclear Electric and regional electricity supply companies

1998
The UK’s domestic gas market is fully opened up to competition

1999 
Feb
 
National Power acquires Calortex and its 500,00 customers

The UK’s domestic electricity market is fully opened to competition

June
National Power acquires the electricity supply business of Midlands Electricity and it’s 2.2 million customers

Oct
The npower business is created to represent the UK retail energy businesses of National Power including Midlands Electricity and Calortex

2000
April
The npower brand is launched with a national TV advertising campaign and sponsorship of test match cricket

National Power acquires Independent Energy to add to the npower business

Oct
National Power demerges to form Innogy , npower’s parent company and International Power

2001

April
Innogy acquires Yorkshire Electricity to position npower as a leading UK energy supplier

The first of npower’s home service products are launched eg. insurance services

Sept
Innogy swaps its interest in Yorkshire’s distribution business for the supply business of Northern Electric

2002
RWE acquisition of Innogy completed

2003
Oct Innogy becomes RWE  Innogy as part of a global restructure

2004
RWE Innogy is officially renamed RWE npower.  National Wind Power and Innogy Hydro become npower renewables

2005
npower becomes a business Superbrand

2006
npower launches the Energy Challenge competition

2007
The new Wembley stadium opens with npower as official energy supplier