CITY'S ELECTRIC ENERGY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 86, 4 January 1918, Page 8

CITY'S ELECTRIC ENERGY

CUTTING DOWN ON HEATING TOINTS. From the point of electric material for house and street lighting, and also of production compared with tho evergrowing consumption, the outlook for tho year is not very promising. '"■'Wo must," says Mr. George.Lauchlan, "consider ourselves fortunate for being in the condition we aro, for other centres have not been nearly so well off. Auckland, for instance, has not been in a 1 position to accept any new business for a long time past, whilst we are still doing a little, though not looking for it." Mr. Lauehlan explained that the trouble is not acute at present, whilst tho long day stretches well into the evening, and darkness only extends over the space of about six hours. The awkward time comes when the Department has to try and keep faith with all its new customers (as well as its old) in mid-winter. Then the peak-load periods aro a sourco of itnxiety, because the demand so nearly approaches the maximum supply of lighting 'arid heating current produced at the Mercer Street power-house. ''If it were only the summer supply I had to consider," said Mr. Lauehlan, "I could go. on accepting new business for a good bit, but I km afraid that

the time is coming close when we'll have to close down on it altogether. At present wo are vetoing the provision of heating points in new houses altogether, but aro still putting tho light into mo'st of the new houses where it is convenient to do so. We were lucky to get onough stuff to keep us going up to tho present, but it cannot last much longer. Indeed,, it may come to having to cut off heating supplies for half-hours at peakload times in mid-winter, in order to get through. Our peak comes from 4.30 to 5 p.m., when nil the offices have to be lit, all the shops aro going, and a good deal of the cooking is being done._ _ As soon as the offices close a precipice develops on the other side of the "peak," that is to sav, there is a big drop in the demand. That continues until about 5.80 p.m., when it works up again to 6 p.m., but the 6 o'clock peat "Is never so high as tho 5 o'clock peak, and that's the ono wo will be worrying about in July and August.