SALE OF ELECTRICITY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 100, 14 May 1937, Page 3

SALE OF ELECTRICITY

Our Own Correspondent.

Revenue Earned By Central H.B. Board

From

WAIPUKURAU, This Day. ltevenue earned by tbe Central Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board bv tho sale of electricity during the past jear totalled £24.001 13/11, as against£23,453 14/10 during the 1935-° 9 period making an increase for the year ended March 31 last of £547 19/3. which equals 2.3 per cent. The increase in the Waipukurau borough area was £197 2/-, and in the country and Waipawa area £350 17/1. These figures were released this mor„ning by the secretary-manager of the board, Mr G. E. Fowler, who presented his annual report to members. As deductions given to consumers during the year totalled approximately £1500, he considered the result of the year's working to be quite satisfactory. ■ His comments on the past year's activities are as follow: — The average value of energy sold per each consumer under all heads was £13 2/-. A comparative table showing the sale per consumer over the last seven years, is as follows : — -

This, of course. includet all bulk and big consumers, hence the high price per consumer. Espenditure has been * kept down well, as will be seen from the balance sheet. The percentage of consumers using electricity for other thau lighting purposes, is "as follows Hot water services, 1936-37, 16.20, per cent, 1935-36 16.57 per cent ; shearing motors, 6.11 per cent and 6.54 per cent; milking motors, 5.95 per cent and 5.83 per cent. ; ranges, 14.98 per cent. and 13.73 per cent. ; other motors, 19.05 per cent. and 18.59 per cent. Money, temporarily invested during the year earned £58 10/7. To date, through the investment for short periods of temporary surplus the board has earned £2031 12/6. Thej board' maintaihed its record of, never having recourse to overdraft since the supply of energy arrived in 1925. The bad debts written off during tbe year amounted to only £17 16/3 under ail heads, with a turnover of £24,229 11/3. The ratio of bad debts for tho year was therefore .073 pre cent. In plain figures for every £100 worth of business, the loss by bad debts was , just over 7id. or approximately 6/1 per £1000 of business. A summary of year's operations is aa follows - Sale of energy increased by £547 19/1; cost of energy purchased by board increased by £252 ; units purchased increased by 366,310; consumers increased by 119, Satisfactory Position. The following statistics as at March 31 reveal a most satisfactory position : (Jonsumers, 1815 ; consumers with ranges installed 272; consumers with hot water services installed 294; total bot water cylinders 336; shearing plants 119; milking plants 108; other motors 346. The development of the range load ni a non-industrial area such as the board's is essential. The percentage of consumers witb electric ranges at at March 31 was 14.98. This requires to be greatly increased as Dominion average at 31/3/36 was 36.04 per cent. The present system of the board as regards range load will greatly help this. Later in tho year demonstrations may be considered, as the same proved most suceessful from a range-building view when last held. totalled £3740 11/- and with the conDue to, the many activities of the bably that a larger sum will, this ye~ board the wages paid during the year crete works in full swing, it is probe distributed in the district.

1930-31 £14 14 1 1931-32 £14 1 3 1932-33 £13 8 2 1933-34 £13 '/ 2 1934-35 £13 15 9 ■ 1935-36 £13 16 7 1936-37 £13 2 1