ESOP Operation

National Grid Transco PLC
20 September 2004

20 September 2004

National Grid Transco plc (NGT)

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National Grid 1996 EMPLOYEE BENEFIT TRUST (ESOP)

(Notification of Directors' Interests, Pursuant to Section 324(2)

of the Companies Act 1985)

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NGT today received a further notification from the ESOP Trustee; that certain
Executive Directors of NGT (E Astle, S Holliday, R Urwin and N Winser) ceased to
be technically interested in a total of 3,546 NGT Ordinary shares, by virtue of
the Trustee having transferred the shares to a participant on 17 September 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.)

One of NGT's Directors, Mr N P Winser was the participant involved. The 3,546
shares were transferred to him on exercising the Sharematch options granted
under the National Grid Share Matching Scheme in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

His total personal interest in NGT shares is unchanged.



Contact: D C Forward, Assistant Secretary (0207 004 3226)


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