Governing body which ran the electricity supply industry, it replaced the British Electricity Authority (BEA) which had been established under the Electricity Act, 1947. The authority was reorganised because of the Electricity Reorganisation (Scotland) Act, 1954. This saw two of the Authority’s undertakings in Scotland merged into a new public body, the South of Scotland Electricity Board. At the same time the British Electricity Authority titled was changed to the Central Electricity Authority. The Authority oversaw 12 Area Boards instead of the previous 14 and a reduction from 13 to 11 in the number of its Generating Divisions.

The Area Boards consisted of the following regions;

1) London

2) South Eastern

3) Southern

4) South Western

5) Eastern

6) East Midlands

7) Midlands

8) South Wales

9) Merseyside and N. Wales

10) Yorkshire

11) North Eastern

12) North Western

The Generating Divisions corresponded to those of the Area Boards except for the North West, Merseyside and N. Wales and the South Western and South Wales Division which were extended.