Scottish Hydro was created from the former North Scotland Electric Board who supplied and distributed electricity, as well as generating hydroelectricity.
As result of the merger with Southern Electric, it became Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE).
Use of the Scottish Hydro Brand Today?
The Scottish Hydro brand name is still in use today as part of the SSE family of businesses. SSE uses the company names as part of its business when they acquire them alongside its umbrella company branding.
As one of SSE’s founding companies, the Scottish Hydro name remains a strong brand in itself with the company maintaining a lot of its heritage and reputation in Scotland.
Scottish Hydro Contact Phone Numbers & Email
Call – 0345 026 0655
Email – customerservice@hydro.co.uk
Scottish Hydro Address
SSE
Inveralmond House
200 Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 3AQ
Website: http://www.hydro.co.uk/
The History of Scottish Hydro
Scottish Hydro’s roots have been traced back to 1880s to many small electricity businesses. This was an era when there were only a few small electricity generating stations and the age of electricity was only just beginning to start with the evolution of electric trams and street lighting.
As electricity use increased and advancements were made the company that became Scottish Hydro became more involved in energy generation. There was a hydro revolution in Scotland which started in 1943 which saw the business support and build hydro power stations.
They built dams and power stations across Scotland and by mid-1960s Scotland had a network of 56 dams powering hydroelectricity to supply homes and businesses across Scotland.
It was only in 1989 though when the Scottish Hydro name was first formed ahead of the privatisation of the UK electricity boards in 1990. The company purchased the assets from the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board which was formed in 1948 after the Electricity Act 1947 where the UK electricity market was privatised into 15 local electric boards.
Scottish Hydro was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991. The company was responsible for both the supplying electricity and the electricity distribution network for the North of Scotland, and it continued to generate electricity. The electricity distribution network was called Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution.
In 1998, Scottish Hydro merged with Southern Electric to form Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), who was also created as part of the electric board privatisation with operations covering electricity supply and distribution across Southern England. In 2000, SSE also acquired the former South Wales Electric Board (SWALEC) to further increase its business reach.
Today SSE continues to be one of UK’s largest generators of renewable energy, and supplies gas and electricity across the UK as well as being responsible for the electricity distribution networks in the North of Scotland and South of England. It is also currently going through a possible merger with Npower to expand its retail energy business in the UK.
What Happened to Scottish Hydro?
Scottish Hydro is still in existence but now forms part of the founding companies behind SSE as a result of the merger with Southern Electric. The Scottish Hydro operations continue under the joint names of SSE and Scottish Hydro which include hydroelectricity generation, energy supply, and distribution networks.
For more see: SSE Reviews & Tariffs
Scottish Hydro Warm Home Discount
Scottish Hydro was part of the 2017/18 Warm Home Discount scheme, which gives vulnerable people £140 towards their energy bills, since they are a component of SSE. For more information on how to apply for 2018/19, you’ll have to visit the SSE website and register your interest for when the scheme opens.
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