ESOP Operation

National Grid Transco PLC
14 July 2004


14th July 2004

National Grid Transco plc (NGT)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

National Grid 1996 EMPLOYEE BENEFIT TRUST (ESOP)

(Notification of Directors' Interests, Pursuant to Section 324(2) of the
Companies Act 1985)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NGT yesterday received a further notification from the ESOP Trustee; that
certain Executive Directors of NGT (E Astle, S Holliday, R Sergel, R Urwin and N
Winser) ceased to be technically interested in a total of 1,369 NGT Ordinary
shares, by virtue of the Trustee having transferred the shares to a participant
on 13 July 2004.

(Note: For Companies Act purposes, these Executive Directors of NGT are deemed
to have a technical interest in all the shares held by the ESOP, together with
all participating employees. The interest ceases when shares are transferred to
participants by the exercise of executive share options or under another
employees' share scheme.)

Contact: D C Forward, Assistant Secretary (020 7004 3226)


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange