NORTH ISLAND POWER CUTS

Grey River Argus, 15 April 1948, Page 7

NORTH ISLAND POWER CUTS

WELLINGTON, April 14. Power supply authorities in the North Island have been advised that they would have to limit power consumption further. The State Hydro-Electric Department has given each supply authority a fixed power allocation. This allocation is 15 per cent, below the allocation scheduled for the week ended April 11. Till April 11, the only reduction . implemented was the one of 5 per cent. The Electricity Controller, Mr A. E. Davenport, said that a weekly increase in power alocations to meet winter needs had been scheduled, but in present circumstances it was no longer possible to carry on increasing allocations. Attempts to build up storage at the lakes during the summer months had failed because of drought conditions. Whether the present cut would be sufficient to stabilise the position depended on the public’s response to appeals for economy and on the hydraulic conditions at the lakes. Rain was badly needed at Taupo and Mangahao. „ „ The Tauno level had fallen from 1172.75 ft. last week to 1172.4 ft. At Waikaremoana the drop in the lake level from 1989.4 ft last week to 1989. Ift. this week had been comparatively small because there had been some rainfall there. . The new generator at Kaitawa was now on a steady load and was making a valuable conribution. Last week North Island consumers used 28,347.000 units, whereas the allocation totalled 25.783,000 units. , Cuts to' keep within the reduced allocation were decided upon by the Manawatu-Oroua Electric Power, Board at a meeting. A blanket cut between the hours of 7 and 8 p.m. will be imposed throughout the whole of the board’s district,

iwith the exception of Sunday nights, 1 when it will take place between 8 ' and 9 p.m. This step was taken to meet the wishes of the churches for their evening services. The only other exception to the widespread cut will be on Friday nights at Fielding, when power will be shut off between 6 and 7 o’clock because of the large numbers of ! farmers shopping in town that night: Water heaters in houses will be off from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and no power will be available for office radiators: between 11 a.m. and 12 noon, and from 4 to 6 p.m. The board considered that broadcasting services should be cut. The public response to the power restrictions introduced by the Welling City Council Electricity Department has been unsatisfactory. When the weather was milder, Wellington’s power consumption was more than 15 per cent, below the allocation. Wellington consumers would have to reduce consumption to' that level again before the position would ba satisfactory. Asked what effect the latest restriction would have on the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, the engineer and general manager could not state exactly what steps the board would have to take, but further cuts would appear to be necessary. The board had been keeping within its allocation for some months, and had been able to ride the first cut without much difficulty except the last week, when the cold snap made it necessary to reduce the hours of wat-ter-heating from 112 to 70 a week.

WELLINGTON’S CUTS. WELLINGTON. April 14. Cuts in the supply of electricity will be imposed in the Wellington City Council’s area this week-end. There will be total interruptions from midnight to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and morning and afternoon cuts on both Saturday and Sunday. A warning has been issued that more drastic action may be necessary if consumption continues at the present rate. I Cuts in Wellington ■ Province WANGANUI, April 14. Wanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board has disconnected domestic water heaters, the only exceptions being comriiercial users, surgeries and hospitals. “Power consumption must be brought down a long way immediately, and the only way we can see of doing it is to eliminate water heating”, said the board’s engineer. LEVIN, April 14. Power cuts- are announced for the Horowhenua Electric Power Board district. The use of domestic water heaters in the board's area has been banned, except during the week-end. Electric radiators cannot be used ii' other methods of heating are available. Half-hour lighting cuts have been imposed at 10 a.m.. 3 n.m. and 7 p.m. PALMERSTON NORTH, April 14. Prohibition from to-day of electric heaters in all houses in the city equip- ? ped with chimneys was decided upon i at a meeting of the City Council lighti ing committee. > . Inspectors will be appointed to en- . sure that householders obey the order, ■ which will operate between the hours ■ of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Exemptions will be granted to ini' valids or persons living in all-electric homes without fireplaces. The ban ’ will apply to shops and offices. : mestic water heating may be con--1 fined to week-ends if the present system of supply for a few hours each day proves imnracticable. 1 The amended allocation of electric ; power for Manawatu-Oroua and 1 Palmerston North city is 1,129,750 ■ units a week, compared with the 3 allocation of 1,460,000 units for the ’ week ending April 18. The cut will be felt more and more, heavily as the demand soars with the advance of winter. Sydney’s Turn for Rationing SYDNEY ,April 14 ' Though power authorities in Victoria and South Australia say that , they have adequate plant to supply all electricity requirements during the ■ coming winter and that power will ! fail only if they do not receive enough ! coal from New South Wales, the Syd- ’ ney County Council has announced a comprehensive plan for winter rationing. The plan, which has yet to be ap- , proved, lays down that industry, in . rotation, will be forbidden the use of power one day each fortnight; that ■ the use of radiators will be banned between 7a.m. and 7.30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays and that all consum- ; ers will be asked to conserve electric- ' ity during daylight hours. The council hopes to apply the recfriotinns hv the end of the month.