The liberalisation and privatisation of the energy markets in the United Kingdom began with the Margaret Thatcher government in the 1980s.

[1] This has been called the Thatcher-Lawson agenda, due to the key role of Nigel Lawson the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1983–89) in the Thatcher cabinet.

[2] The government recognised that the electricity industries in Europe and the United States operated successfully under private ownership.

[3] In contrast the Central Electricity Generating Board was seen as 'inflexible, bureaucratic, secretive and largely outside of political control'.

of pension schemes – Sections 104 and 105 Supplemental – Sections 106 to 113 Schedules Schedules 1 to 18 In England and Wales the electricity generating and transmission functions of the Central Electricity Generating Board were divided on 31 March 1990 into three new companies, namely: PowerGen, National Power and National Grid Company.

[3][4] Coordination of generation, transmission and distribution was achieved through the establishment of a wholesale pool operated by the National Grid Company.

[4] In Scotland, unlike in England and Wales, the electricity industry was already organised as an integrated generation, distribution, and supply structure.

Upon privatisation ScottishPower was created in 1990 largely from the South of Scotland Electricity Board.

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Limited (NIE Networks) is the electricity asset owner of the transmission and distribution infrastructure in Northern Ireland, it was established in 1993 when the business was privatised.

The Energy Act 2010 required the Government to prepare reports on the progress made on the decarbonisation of electricity generation in Britain and the development and use of Carbon Capture and Storage; and to create schemes for energy suppliers to give benefits to customers to reduce fuel poverty.