POWER INTERRUPTIONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5270, 4 May 1928, Page 1

POWER INTERRUPTIONS.

FARMERS) WANT COMPENSATION.

REPLY OF POWER BOARD.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board a letter was received from the Putuniru branch of the Farmers’ Union suggesting that should there be any interruptions during the cominlg win* ter months due to the silting up of the headrace at Horahora, the board should consider making a reduction hi the flat rate charges as compensation to those consumers who were not on meters. In asking that the be supplied with a copy of the manager’s reply Mr F. E. Flatt said that the Press was very generous in the amount of publicity given with regard to the board s activities, and he. thought that in the interests of the public the reply should receive prominence. The chairman (Mr F. M. Strange) agreed, ajid following is the, reply : “With reference to 1 your statement regarding deduction, of flat rate charges through interruptions of supply, apparently you; do not understand the basis, upon which the board purchases power from the Public Works. Department. This; board cer-> ta’inly pays the department for all the power used, and the; method of charg-, ing is: The boai’d 1 purchases from-he Public Works Department on any half-peak of a maximum demand for, a quarter ; that is to say, if the board takes 4000 k.w. for the first half hour of any quarter, for instance, from January 1 to March 31, and dloes, not take any further electricity other than the half-hour already mentioned for the quarter, it has to pay on the supply as if the amount used during the half-hour was taken over the whole quarter. After perusing this ■information you wall seei that your inference with regard to the board not paying for power it does not use does not apply. If we could) arrange with the department to purchase as you suggest it wouSd certainly be a* great benefit to the board financially, add you can be assured that it is the endeavour of the board to make the operation as successful, as possible, with thq sole idea of a reduction in charges in the absorbing of any profit made. The matter of charging on meters is a.very delicate question ow J ing to the fact that the cost of meters, installation., and transport, together with the necessity for meter readers, from figures already taken out prove of no saying to the consumer. You can r<as.t assured that the consumers of the board will receive the utmost consideration as tto terin®, owing to the fact, as previously mentioned, that no profits can be used other than in the reduction of charges’ for electricity.”