‘Don’t become a one-trick pony’

A lifelong fascination with electricity has culminated in a Croydon man being recognised for 40 years’ service to the electricity industry.

Lee Sterling, 57, has joined UK Power Networks’ 40-plus Club, which honours long-serving staff who help to keep electricity flowing to 8.4 million homes and businesses.

He joined the company in 1982 as an apprentice electrician and now works as a delivery support manager for electricity connections, helping customers changing the electricity meter position in their home or business.

Lee said: “My old man said to me, always find a trade, try and get an apprenticeship and you will be set up for life. He wasn’t wrong. Electricity always fascinated me, so I got a job with London Electricity Board.”

His varied career included night work for London Underground, managing a team of 50 electricians and supervisors installing power supplies for new escalators, ticket hallways and platform lighting.

Lee said: “It was an alien world. I remember some of the areas underneath the escalator chambers being the size of a football ground. I was in shock, thinking what is this?

“They wanted lighting in the underground tunnel from Waterloo Tube station to Lambeth North and we walked the whole way. It blew my mind, this was another world. It was an eerie experience.”

Lee spent his early career installing meters in domestic, commercial, and industrial properties and became an expert in his field.

Lee said: “To thrive in a company for 40 years you have to be flexible and adaptable, take on new challenges and be willing to learn. I’m still enjoy the job.

“One thing I have learnt is don’t become a one-trick pony, but always find an area where you will be an expert. My name comes up every time they need a metering expert.”

Joining the industry before mobile phones and emails, he remembers using air vacuum tube capsules in his first office to send paperwork to other departments.

“It was cutting edge then, that shows how far we have come. We put paper in the capsule, pressed the button and it would go ‘whoosh’ and fly to another department. It’s antiquated compared to today’s communications, but mobile phones didn’t exist and the first computers had just arrived,” he added.

His fascination with electricity networks is undimmed after 40 years, and Lee says he would love to be involved in the future of the industry and catering for the growth of electric vehicles.

Lee Sterling Picture: UK Power Networks