SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC

Active
Company number 04094290Public limited companyIncorporated 2000

Key figures

£1,474,000,000-0.3%
Net assets 2025/26
-0.3%
Average annual change 2024/25–2025/26
0500 m1 bn1.5 bn2024/252025/26

† SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC filed these accounts on paper, so Companies House publishes them only as a scanned image. The figures for the years marked † were read automatically from the scan and kept only where the statements add up (for example net assets equal total equity), but a reading error is still possible — check the original accounts at Companies House.

Ratios

2025/26

Sector comparison

SIC 35130

Where the company stands among the 888 active companies whose first SIC code is 35130 (Distribution of electricity).

Turnover£696,200,000
Higher than 84% · median £7,953,000 among 55 that publish turnover
Net assets£1,474,000,000
Higher than 99% · median £12,109
Total assets£5,555,800,000
Higher than 99% · median £92,928
Cash£21,900,000
Higher than 96% · median £30,000
Employees3,028
Higher than 99% · median 1
Company age26.0 years
Older than 93% · median 5.8 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION PLC£8.1bn
  2. NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION (WEST MIDLANDS) PLC£2.5bn
  3. NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION (EAST MIDLANDS) PLC£2.2bn
  4. EASTERN POWER NETWORKS PLC£2.1bn
  5. LONDON POWER NETWORKS PLC£1.7bn
  6. NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION (SOUTH WEST) PLC£1.6bn
  7. SOUTH EASTERN POWER NETWORKS PLC£1.5bn
  8. SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC£1.5bn
  9. ELECTRICITY NORTH WEST LIMITED£1.3bn
  10. NATIONAL GRID ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION (SOUTH WALES) PLC£986.6m

Positions are approximate. Figures come from each company's latest accounts; money and employee figures are compared only with companies that filed accounts in pounds for a period ending in the last two and a half years and are not dormant, so those groups are smaller than 888. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC

What kind of company is it?

SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC is a public limited company registered with Companies House under company number 04094290. It was incorporated on 23 Oct 2000. Its status is active. The registered office is in Reading (RG1). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is distribution of electricity (35130).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2025/26 (period ending 31 Mar 2026); the company files full accounts. Turnover was £696,200,000. Profit for the year was £56,900,000. Net assets were £1,474,000,000, down 0.3% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £21,900,000. Total assets were £5,555,800,000 and total liabilities £3,715,700,000. The company had an average of 3,028 employees. Figures are available for 2 financial years (2024/25–2025/26).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 888 active companies whose first SIC code is 35130: By turnover it ranks higher than 84% of the 55 that publish turnover (median £7,953,000). By net assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £12,109). By total assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £92,928). By cash it ranks higher than 96% of them (median £30,000). By number of employees it ranks higher than 99% of them (median 1). It is older than 93% of them (median age 5.8 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 11 public contract award notices from 6 public sector buyers since 2020. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £772.9k. Its most frequent buyer is Oxfordshire County Council (4 contracts). It is recorded as the recipient of 2 central government grants worth £1.2m, mainly from Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

What do public registers and reports show?

HMRC lists it as an importer of goods, mainly electrical equipment, optical, medical and measuring instruments, machinery. In its latest payment practices report it took an average of 23 days to pay suppliers, and 18% of invoices were not paid within agreed terms. Its gender pay gap report for 2026/27 shows median hourly pay for women 3.8% lower than for men. It has modern slavery statements on the government registry for 6 years.

Who runs and controls the company?

One person with significant control is registered.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 30 Sep 2027. The next confirmation statement is due by 6 Sep 2027.

Filed accounts2024/25–2025/26
2024/25 †2025/26 †
Turnover1,137,400,000696,200,000
Profit for the year414,800,00056,900,000
Cash at bank and in hand21,900,00021,900,000
Total assets5,027,200,0005,555,800,000
Total liabilities3,201,900,0003,715,700,000
Net assets / total equity1,478,200,0001,474,000,000
Average number of employees2,9793,028

A dash (—) means no accounts were filed for that year or the item is not in the accounts; 0 is a zero stated in the accounts. Small companies usually file only a balance sheet, so the profit and loss account is often missing.

Public contracts

11 contracts

SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC is named as a supplier in 11 public contract award notices from 6 public sector buyers since 2020. The 9 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £772.9k.

Contracts per year
Main buyers6
Oxfordshire County Council
4 contracts · £274.8k
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
3 contracts · £140.1k
UK Research & Innovation
1 contract · £269k
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
1 contract · £62.1k
NHS Property Services Limited
1 contract · £26.9k
Contracts
  1. Witney Resource Centre Grid UpgradeOxfordshire County Council · £89,242 · runs until Mar 2027
  2. Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Fire Station Broadway, Didcot‡Oxfordshire County Council · £154,411 · runs until Jan 2027
  3. DNO electricity grid upgrade for Wallingford CSSOxfordshire County Council · £31,147 · runs until Mar 2027
  4. SSEN grid reinforcement works at Singletree‡Oxford City Council · runs until Mar 2027
  5. Disconnection of Electricity Supplies at Royal South Hants Hospital‡NHS Property Services Limited · £26,895
Show 6 more
  1. ECC (‘Elective Care Centre’) Electrical Connection‡Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust · £62,137 · runs until Mar 2029
  2. Power Connection Upgrade at Henley Library‡Oxfordshire County Council
  3. UKRI-1491 Provision of Power Supply at Harwell‡UK Research & Innovation · £269,035
  4. Uplands Development Infrastructure Power Supply for Street Lighting at Winchester Road and Woodhouse Lane, BotleyHAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL · £30,031
  5. Uplands Development - SSE cable Diversion Works at Plans 5 and 6 Woodlands LaneHAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL · £30,801
  6. Uplands Development - SSE cable Diversion Works at Plans 4 Woodlands LaneHAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL · £79,245

From contract award notices on Contracts Finder (since 2016) and Find a Tender (since 2021), published by the Cabinet Office under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Values are as published by the buyer and usually cover the whole contract term; the total leaves out awards shared between several suppliers, where the published figure is a ceiling for all of them, placeholder values and single figures of £1 billion or more. Notices marked ‡ do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name. Contracts below the publication thresholds and those of devolved buyers that publish elsewhere are not included.

Government grants

2 grants

SOUTHERN ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION PLC is recorded as the recipient of 2 central government grants since 2019, together worth £1.2m.

Funders
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
1 grant · £1.2m
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
1 grant · £26.5k
Grants
  1. Nature4Networks - R3 AlphaDepartment for Science, Innovation and Technology · £26,455 · UKRI - Innovate UK - Scheme
  2. Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire)Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy · £1,215,566 · ALB - UKRI - Innovate UK grant awards in 19-20

From the Government Grants Register published by the Cabinet Office (financial years 2016/17 onwards, Open Government Licence v3.0). It covers grants from central government departments and their agencies where the register states the recipient's company number and the recipient name matches this company; grants from local authorities, lottery distributors and devolved governments are not included.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Apr 2026 – 30 Sep 2026
Average time taken to pay invoices
23 days
Invoices not paid within agreed terms
18%
Member of a payment code
No
  • Within 30 days 92%
  • 31 to 60 days 7%
  • After 60 days 1%
Earlier periods (7)
Period ending
Days to pay
Within 30 days
Late
31 Mar 2026
23
94%
17%
30 Sep 2025
24
92%
15%
31 Mar 2025
26
89%
16%
30 Sep 2024
26
87%
19%
31 Mar 2024
28
83%
30%
30 Sep 2023
25
95%
27%
31 Mar 2023
27
88%
23%

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Gender pay gap2026/27
Median hourly pay
women 3.8% lower
Mean hourly pay
women 4.1% lower
Median bonus pay
women 76.3% lower
Employer size
1000 to 4999 employees
Lower pay quarter28.7% womenLower middle20.5% womenUpper middle23.5% womenUpper pay quarter19.2% women
Earlier years (9)
Year
Median hourly pay
Mean hourly pay
2025/26
women 4.7% lower
women 6.2% lower
2024/25
women 4.5% lower
women 7.3% lower
2023/24
women 12.9% lower
women 11.9% lower
2022/23
women 16.4% lower
women 16.2% lower
2021/22
women 16.9% lower
women 16.2% lower
2020/21
women 18% lower
women 17.9% lower
2019/20
women 22.1% lower
women 20.7% lower
2018/19
women 18.3% lower
women 15.6% lower
2017/18
women 18.7% lower
women 14.6% lower

A positive gap means women's average hourly pay is lower than men's across the whole employer; it is not a comparison of pay for the same work. View on the Gender pay gap service

Modern slavery statements6
2025
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (SSE PLC)
2024
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (SSE PLC)
2023
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (SSE PLC)
Earlier years (3)
2022
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (SSE PLC)
2021
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (SSE PLC)
2020
Statement · summary on GOV.UK · group statement (SSE PLC)

Figures the company reported itself to the government's Check payment practices service, Gender pay gap service and Modern slavery statement registry (Open Government Licence v3.0). Only large companies and employers with 250 or more staff have to report, so most companies have nothing here.

Registers and licences

International trade‡

Listed by HMRC as an importer of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: electrical equipment, optical, medical and measuring instruments, machinery, plastics and rubber.

From HMRC's monthly lists of importers and exporters. Traders can ask to be left off the lists, so absence does not mean a company does not trade.

Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Care Quality Commission, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Entries marked ‡ come from lists that do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name.

History

6 events
  1. Financial year 2025/26 endedAccounts: turnover £696.2m, net assets £1.5bn, 3,028 employees
  2. Financial year 2024/25 endedAccounts: turnover £1.1bn, net assets £1.5bn, 2,979 employees
  3. Ssen Distribution Limited registered as a person with significant control
  4. Scottish And Southern Energy Power Distribution Limited ceased to be a person with significant control
  5. Scottish And Southern Energy Power Distribution Limited registered as a person with significant control
  6. Company incorporatedPublic limited company

Dates as recorded at Companies House: incorporation, name changes, officer appointments and resignations, current and former persons with significant control, and the end of each financial year with figures in the database.