Name change for Powergen

Powergen today said it was adopting the name of its German parent company.

The UK-based energy group, which runs power stations and sells gas and electricity across Britain, said it would be known as E.ON UK from July 5.

The change means the group’s power station and wind farm operations and its industrial and commercial retail arm will be re-badged as E.ON.

However, its consumer retailing operation, which serves six million domestic and small business customers, will retain the Powergen branding.

The company’s distribution arm, which supplies electricity to 4.8 million people across the Midlands and includes the former Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity distribution operations, is now known as Central Networks.

Powergen, which became part of German utility E.ON in 2002, said the name change represented a major step towards a single group identity.

Chief executive Paul Golby said: “With our parent company having already invested £12 billion in Powergen and shown a long term commitment to both us and the country, this move marks the next stage in our development.”

The group has 10 oil, gas and coal-fired power stations in north London, Nottinghamshire, Kent, Wales, Shropshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.

It also has stakes in 20 wind farms and 16 combined heat and power plants located between Kent and Cumbria.