Warning Given Certain Users Of Electricity

Chronicle (Levin), 22 September 1949, Page 4

Warning Given Certain Users Of Electricity

A warning that they must reduce their consumption of eleetric power considerabiy was issued yesterday by the. chairman, Mr. T. G. Vincent, at a meeting of Ihe Horowhenua Eleetric Power Board, to commercial, rural and industrial users. They had been responsible for 440,000 of a total of 481,724 units used in the first five months of the new financial year in excess of that period the previous year. The domestic consumpaon, which comprised two thirds of the board's load, had only increased by 46,000 units during that period. From the fact that the board • was three per cent over its allocalion, it waa obvious that next year wouM find the position even worse. "We have had a mild winter and a good rainfall and yet we find ourseives short. We will be on the black list next year if this continues," said Mr. Vincent, "and goodness knows what will happen in the winter of 1951. At the earliest Maraetai will not be in operacion until late in 1951 — not in time to provide relief for the winter." The industrial consumption ovei the five-monthly period was up 90,000 units, double that of the domestic usage. Rural consumption had gone up 203,000 units and comnierciai 144,000 units, continued Mr. Vincent, quoting figurea supplied in the managing-secre-tary's report. He also referred to a note in Mr. Frederikson's report that dairy factories in the district had used 23,000 more units in processing milk this season. "We cannot expect much of a reduction in the domestic consumption. It must come from the commercial, rural and industriai users," Mr. Vincent concluded. Disconnection Mooted. . In 'his report the managingsecretary, Mr. R. A. Frederikson, said, that during the past month the ' rationing scheme had been severely teste'd, due to colder weather and the schooi holidays. Consumption had been consistently above allocation so that the overall position for the year had slightly deteriorated. A close check had been made on consumers' accounts and where it had been excessive requests to reduce* had been issued. For the previous meter reading period, 184 notices were issued, he said. For the August meter reading it had been necessary to issue 34 second warhings, with first warnings to a further 160 consumers. It appeared, added Mr. Frederikson, that it would now be necessary to enforce partial disconnection in order to bring home to a few consumers the need to comply with the board's rationing scheme.