MR SEMPLE SAYS QUOTA RATIONING OF POWER WORKS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 4, 27 June 1949, Page 5

MR SEMPLE SAYS QUOTA RATIONING OF POWER WORKS

While he makes it quite clear that rationing of available power is a matter for each supply authority, the Minister in charge of the State Hydro-Electric Department, Mr Semple, in a letter to the Beacon, stresses the success of the quota system in several districts.

His letter comes in reply to one published in the Beacon over the nom-de-plume “In The Dark” on June 8, in which the following questions were asked of the authorities concerned: (a) Why are we the only ones to suffer the cuts? (b) What is our quota? (c) By how much do we exceed it? (d) Is the quota large enough? (e) Are the cuts necessary to enable factories just started to run? And .finally, what are they going to do' about it? Seeking to get the answers for our correspondent, we sent copies of the letter to Mr Semple, the Electricity Controller, and the Power Board asking for comments for publication.

So far Mr Semple’s is the only reply to hand. Here it is, in full:— “I am in receipt of your letter of the 9th June- enclosing a proof copy of a letter recently published in the Bay of Plenty Beacon on the subject of power rationing in Whakatane. Others Rationed

“So far as concerns the comparison made between the rationing of power in Whakatane and elsewhere, it is incorrect that no restrictions are being enforced in the Taranaki, Wanganui and Wellington areas, or in any other areas. The methods being employed by the various electric supply authorities to limit the use of power to within the allocations do vary, however, ahd in many areas it would not necessarily be apparent, except to local residents, that restrictions were being enforced.

“At the annual conference of the electric supply authorities held in Dunedin last September, the Electricity Controller strongly recommended that means other than compulsory power cuts should be employed to ration power. Most of the authorities referred to by your correspondent are rationing power on a quota basis. How Quotas Work

“Each consumer is informed of the number of units allocated to him for each meter-reading period. As to how he uses his quota is for him to decide. Obviously this leaves it to each consumer to use his allocation to suit his personal needs best. “There may be better methods of rationing power, but wherever quota rationing is in force no compulsory power cuts are operating and I think that is the test to apply. There are several districts other than those mentioned by your correspondent where quota rationing is applying satisfactorily. “However, I wish to make it clear that it remains entirely a matter for each electric supply authority to decide for itself which means to employ in order to limit the consumption of power. It is necessary that this should be so in order that full regard can be given to local conditions.

“The other points raised by your correspondent are ones for the consideration of the electric supply authority concerned.”