PRESENT WEEK WILL BE THE REAL TEST

Chronicle (Levin), 9 April 1947, Page 6

PRESENT WEEK WILL BE THE REAL TEST

- Press Association

3y Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, April 8. The consumption of electricity in theNorth Island last week was nearly 1,000,000 units below the reduced al location. ordered by the Government. This is attributed by power supply authorities to the interventiOn of the Fasfqr period with- the- elimination of inost of the -industrial demand and the , fine warm" weather over the holidav taking so many' people out of doors. Returns received by the State Hydroelectrie Department today show that consumption for the' week ended inidnight on Sunday amounted to -20,832,00U units. As the allocation was 21,780,000 units,- consumers used 948,000 fewer units than- the allocation. For- the' previous week the consumption wras 2,828,000 units above allocation. • An official of the department stated that last weekVfigures should be treated with reserve. Arithmetically they showed an improvement but had there been a normal week no such saving in the use of electricity could have been aehieved. It would not be until after next week, a full wo'rking week' after Easter, that the effectiveness of the present ineasures could be judged in relation to the desired saving of power. The genefal-managef of the eitv electricity .department, Mr. L. B. Hutton, said tonight that results in -Wellington last week were quite encouraging. The savings, however, were really lictitious and unreal and had it been a normal week it was doubtful whether the objective would have been attained. The existing cuts would continue unehanged in the meaiitime. He had been studying the power curves to see vvhat would be necessary if still tuore power had to be saved. It seemed tliat in those circumstances the present overnight cut on ■ four nights of the week from 10.30 p.m. -to 6 a.m. would have to be extended to a fifth night. Savings made last week by the Ilutt Valley Power Board were vcrv close to what was required to rcduce consumption to the allocation ordered !)y the Government.