The Northmet Power Company's account for the supply of electricity to the home of H. H. I. Whitehouse Esq., of 91 Hyde Park Avenue, Winchmore Hill, London N.21, a pleasant suburb of the capital city in Middlesex, and for the sum of £5 0s. 1d. This was made up of a fixed charge of 13 shillings, 970 units of electricity at ½d totalling £2 0s. 5d and an instalment of £2 6s.8d. due at the Southgate shop on 1 February 1940. The account was settled at Northmet's shop on the Broadway at Winchmore Hill on 26 February.
Something tells me that the Whitehouse's were comfortably off in their little "Metroland" semi-detached house - and in wartime as well. The reverse of the account or bill is used to give information as to the utility of one unit of electricity; how long it would run an electric lamp, how many pints of water it would boil or how long to run an electric clock. There is also information as to alteration or discontinuation of supply that was provided at the standard of 240v AC and 50 cycles single phase; not all UK electrical supply undertakings had yet fully standardised supply to consumers.
The Northmet Power Company - fully the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company - had originally been formed in 1900 and had, thanks to tramway electrification and operations, been associated with the London Underground group of companies, hence its use of the 'roundel' logo seen here. When London Transport was formed in 1933 the common ownership was effectively severed but the Northmet continued to use the logo as well as generate and supply electricity across much of North London, Middlesex and parts of Hertfordshire and Essex until Nationalisation of the industry in 1948.
This item was kindly given to me from the collections of the late Andrew Emmerson.
