HUTT VALLEY POWER CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1937, Page 8

HUTT VALLEY POWER CHARGES

. (To the Editor.)

gi r —it appears from tonight's "Post that a reduction is possible in the Hun Valley Power Board's rates. To bring the charges within a reasonable relation to other charges for power purchased from the same source a drastic reduction is necessary. According to the chairman the accounts are in a healthy state. How can accounts be in a healthy condition when charges are practically twice as much as those of another authority purchasing its pQwer from the same Government supply? For some time I have been comparing my monthly accounts with those of a similar household in Wellington city. The difference is surprising. In each case the house is of five rooms with 900-watt continuous hot-water supply, an electric stove, radio, toaster iron, and vacuum cleaner. The Wellington city charge is from 16s to 18s per month. The Hutt Valley charge is 30s to 33s per month for the same service, and similar conditions. The above extraordinary discrepancy in charges for a product .purchased from a common source can only be explained by one of the following reasons:—(a) The Government is overcharging the Hutt Power Board, (b) The maintenance and service costs are too high, (c) The charges are too high, (d) The financial conduct of the board is not in the best interests of the consumers. These conclusions are based on the facts of unfortunate experience. It is useless to argue that reticulation costs are high. There are country power boards, in New Zealand which probably, do not boast a hundred consumers in any square mile, but their charges are lower than in the Hutt Valley. One such board can sell power for constant load in small quantities at five-eighths of a penny per unit. Apparently the Government has dropped the scheme for bringing the power boards into line, therefore it remains to the consumers to press for an overhaul of the Hutt Valley Power Board's methods and charges.—l am., etc., CONSUMER — P.S.—My charge is approximately 1.4 pence per unit. The working cost is .718 pence per unit. The charge is 95 per cent, above cost. June 5.