ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 810, 6 May 1910, Page 8

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

A DIMINISHED SURPLUS. - RESULT OF NEW LAMPS. Returns of the revenue and expenditure pf the Electric Lighting Department for tho year ended March 31, 1910, and also for the month of March, were presented at the meeting of the City Coun. cil last evening The report stated that tho revenue from private lighting and power for tho year amounted to a decrease of ,£4OOB as compared w-ith the previous twelve months, notwithstanding that tho nuinbor of consumers had considerably increased. The decrease in the revenue could be principally attributed to the use of Metallic Filament lamps, and when comparing the average consumers' account with that of a year ago, the reduction was very marked and was equivalent to a total saving by the whole of the consumers of nearly .£7OOO per annum.

The revenue from public lighting showed an increase of £1438 to the department, which was accounted for by the fact that for eigjit out of the twelve months of the previous year current for tho city street lamps was supplied from the tramway power station.

The total revenue from all sources this year amounted to. .£44,814 as compared with £44,321 in the previous year. Working expenses.—The total working expense? amounted to .£25,933, an increase ot £815. The principal headings under which increases in expenditure occurred ivere as follow:—Fuel, .£300; repairs and maintenance public lighting, charged last year direct to district fund, £833; management and general expenses decreased by JC332. The excess of revenue over working expenses amounted to .£IB,BBO, as compared with .£!9,302 last year, and was equivalent to a little over 8! per cent, on tho total capital cost of the private and public lighting undertakings.

After providing for the year's interest, sinking fund and depreciation charges, the result, of tho year's operations wns a net surplus of J2228 as compared with .£4272 in tho previous twelve months.

The electric power statistics for March showed that the number of units sold was 131,900, a decrease of 25.6G3 as compared with the corresponding month of your. T lie nvertigo revenue received from each consumer of electricity was Us. 3d., a decrease of 2s. 3d.