POWER SAVINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 8

POWER SAVINGS

A LOT CAN BE DONE

200,000 HOUSE LIGHTS

CARE WITH HEATERS

Power-users —and that covers everyone, whether he owns a twoacre factory or burns a 25-watt table lamp—have been told repeatedly that the power position in the North Island is bound to be difficult this year. They have been told now by the Minister of Supply that every generating station is overloaded and that the winter demand can be met only if a list of "Ifs" works out favourably. One of the biggest of the "ifs" is: If the combined generating systemhydro plus steam —gets through without breakdown, either mechanically or in fuel supply. Power-users cannot do anything direct about that. Another of the "ifs" is: If consumers realise sufficiently how serious is the problem of maintaining supply and co-operate voluntarily with the. supply authorities in reducing their use of power, for whatever purpose. That is something in which all users can do something of direct assistance. The alternative to voluntary reduction of demand is, obviously, restriction by rationing, which is bound to hit some users hard, particularly those who live in all-electric homes. NO BIG SAVING FROM STREET LIGHTS. It has been suggested that as street lighting has been reduced to just a glim it might as well be turned out altogether, with a consequent enormous saving in power. The authorities who have decided upon the degree of darkening will certainly not agree that the glim is not of real use, particularly to pedestrians, and, in any case, if all Wellington street lights were swtiched off for the duration the saving in power would be very small. There are about 5000 street lights in the city and suburbs, and the highest power used now is 200 watts, so that the total street lighting load is below 400 kilowatts. Street lighting is to be reduced further to lessen sky glow, with a consequent saving in power consumption, but it will be very small. The cutting out of neon signs has made some difference, but again it is of no great account, a few hundred kilowatts only. Reduction of shop window lighting and the prohibition of under-verandah lights will effect a considerably greater saving than the switching off of signs at sunset, but a far greater possibility in saving of power lies in the multiplied effect of apparently trifling economies by the very large number of small users. MANY HOUSE LIGHTS. It has been estimated that well over 200,000 lamps burn in homes, hotels, boarding-houses, and rooms—there are about 20,000 roomers in Wellington— from sunset till, say, 10 o'clock, and it is well established to everyone who lives in any house that lights are left on in rooms not in use. The 5 per cent, reduction suggested by the Minister of Supply on Wednesday should be easy of attainment in domestic lighting. There are in Wellington about 4000 electric ranges. Current is cheap and it is probable that some housewives could economise here. It is dangerous to tackle any individual housewife on a charge of reckless extravagance at the range, but it is permissible to suggest generally that economies are possible in electric cooking, Wellington has, on comparison with other centres, not many electric ranges; Auckland has about 18,000. Water heating also has not been as generally adopted here as elsewhere in the North Island. There are about 7000 wiiter heating installations; Auckland has 20,000. Further, the Wellington system of restricting the use of power for Avater heating to certain hours is considerably more economical, as regards power supply, than the round-the-clock systems holding in other supply areas. HEAVY RADIATOR LOAD. The number of radiators in use here is not known, but it is very large, many tens of thousands. The radiator load is a serious problem to all supply authorities, for it is piled on top of morning and evening peaks. Every dark, cold winter afternoon sends the demand shooting up and without any doubt the tens of thousands of radiators switched on to warm things up are a : main cause. The electricity department does not want anyone to be deprived of the benefits and the convenience and comfort of good light and warmth, but the plain fact is that the supply problem is serious and the demand must be reduced. It can be reduced, the department maintains, by switching off lights which are not really needed, in halls and porches, in rooms left untenanted for as few as five minutes, and particularly in the more careful use of radiators so that they are not left on in empty rooms and offices. Something may be possible from economies by large users of power, but generally industrial use of electricity is kept down to the minimum.