WATER HEATERS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3299, 13 August 1943, Page 8

WATER HEATERS

REPORT TO POWER BOARD RATES RECOMMENDED CHANGE FROM THE FLAT RATE The following report and recommendations were made by the man ager to the Thames Valley Electric Power Board, Mr R. Sprague, to Tuesday’s meeting:— “In terms of a further communication of July 9 from the Power Boards Association, Wellington, together with the Electric Heating Order, it makes it very necessary that a tariff for dairy water heaters and all water heater tariffs should be given the utmost urgency, so that the Department and the Association can have satisfactory progress to report when they appear before the Minister of Supply and Works on August 6. “The directions embodied in the information have already been carried Gut by the the board in accordance with the application for the domestic waterheaters, for which the Price Tribunal has already given its consent A start has already been made in linking up water heaters to meters, and will take from two - to three months to complete. “The objects of the Water Heater Order are: (1) To reduce the use of electricity in heating water by eliminating possible waste. (2) To aim at cutting by 20 per cent, the use of electricity in water heating, in domestic and dairy installations, provided always in this case that sufficient hot water in terms of volume and temperature are made available to effect efficient cleaning and sterilising of dairy machine plant, equipment, etc. , Change Necessary “Definite instructions have been laid on the necessity for getting away from the flat rate method of charging for water heating, and also, that a stop-rate be in the tariff in order that only the necessary requirements, even dn meter, will be used. It is also pointed out for the information of Supply Authorities throughout New Zealand to peruse the tariffs already applied by this board in particular and also three other boards in the North Island.

“As pointed out in my report to the board 18 months ago as to methods of metering water heaters, owing to the shortage of meters the only satisfae tary way of applying the change-over is by using the meters already installed and altering the tariffs in order to secure the results at which you aim. To give you an indication, if the Board bad had to provide meters for the domestic waterheaters, it would have necessitated increasing charges to the amount of £2500 per annum in order to pay the cost of purchasing and installing meters. The same conditions will apply as affecting the metering of dairy water heaters, and the board is left no alternative but to apply a tariff using the present meters installed in the sheds. Rural Problems

“One matter that I wish to stress to the board is the fact that 12,000 State and private houses are to be built within the next two years, and I do not consider this board, or any rural board, should be a chopping block for metropolitan boards in the economising of water heater units, especially dairy farms, owing to the fact that the only boards making any sacrifice under this heading are the rural boards, as urban boards have few, if any, dairy farms in their territories.

“What I do recommend to the board is to see that dairy farms in particular, as affecting the housewives with ranges, and also waterheaters in sheds, together with all further installations, should be put on the mains, if the savings by the metering of water heaters, both domestic and dairying, show results., so that the board can work light up to its allocation in units from the Department. If this is not done, it means that urban 'boards will be obtaining additional revenue from connected load, whereas this board will be faced with reductions in revenue owing to elimination of any further connected load. “I want to stress this position,, because it will have very serious results on the board’s future, both as affecting pi esent conditions and also postwar conditions. Rates Brought Down “The following rates, after consultation with the chairman, are brought down for your favourable consideration and adoption:— “Jn all-electric dairy with milking motor and motor accessories of a combined h.p. of not less than 1 h.p., water heating on C.O.Sw., with a motor or motors to the required capacity of 1 h.p. or on time switch control. “A. Where 600w. water heater, to be: First GO units per month at nett; next 30 units per month at Id

nett; next 240 units per ffi/mth at l-3d nett; balance units per jLonth at Id nett. “B. Where 750w. to 80 Ow. water heater, to be: First 60 units per month at 23d nett; next 30 units per month at Id nett; next 300 units per month at Sd nett; balance units per mdntOlt Id nett. . • “C. Where wfyter heater or over, to be: First 60 uni£s per month at 2§d nett; next 30 unitfc per month at Id nett; next uni/s per month at Sd nett; balance unite: per month at Id nett. “Maximum units at l-3d or ?>d rates, 400 per month. Small Units Considered “This rate is recommended as it allows of the small shed merging -water heater units slowly into the Id rate at the start of the descent from the 23d rate, and finally with the larger sheds protruding the water heater units into the Id motor units, which will balance and offset the reduction from 23d to Id in milking motor rate at the start of the gradient. The reason for the l-3d and id rate for water heater blocks will be apparent when the small shed is considered. The difference will eventually disappear in most cases as the 600w. element becomes obsolete and a change is necessary under the Dairy Regulations which will require an increase in element. The load is a seasonal one of 9-10' months’ duration. We will have a rise in consumption at the commencement of the season and a tailoff at the termination of the season, consequently we cannot give a l-3d per unit for the main water heater blocks, as we are involved in a supply which has to be catered for over the whole four quarters for purchase, but which will return revenue over only 9-10 months, leaving us one-sixth of a year without revenue. This will explain the difference in tariff of Id for block water heater rate of pow’er, from l-3d in the domestic tariff, the latter not being seasonal in nature. Continuous Service “Where continuous service water heater is desired, 60 units per month at 2Sd, balance units at Id. There are only 45 water heaters on continuous and 34 on T.Sw. out of a total of 3180. No alteration in M.M. rate is proposed where there is not a water heater in service. “Where no meter is installed and a water heater is desired on T.Sw., the rate to be 30 units per month at 23d, block rates at id, balance units at Id per month.”