WILL BE PENALISED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 32418, 14 April 1944, Page 5

WILL BE PENALISED

LOCAL POWER CONSUMERS ALLOCATION FOR WINTER MANAGER’S REPORT TO BOARD The opinion that as a result of economies effected last year in the use of electricity in the Thames Valley consumers would be unfairly penalised during the coming winter, was expressed by Mr R. Sprague, manager of the Thames Valley Electric Power 1 Board in his report to the April meeting of the board. The report and discussion on same were taken in committee, the follow* ing portions of the report being released to the press: “With reference to the allocation of power for the ensuing year, I understand that the allocation as affecting our board will be based, on a 2 per cent, increase in units on the amount we received during the corresponding week of this year. “This statement was made in the daily press on March 30 by the Hon. Sullivan, in reply to a question asked in the House. This allocation as affecting the board, is in my opinion not in keeping with the statements made and undertakings given by the department, asking for supply authorities’ assistance in the national power shortage. Controller’s Letter “Hereunder is a copy of the controller’s letter of July 29, 1943, in which he definitely states that supply authorities would not be penalised if they used within the percentage limits allotted in their allocations: — “ ‘ln connection with the percentage increases allocated to supply authorities, there appears to.be a misunderstanding generally that efforts to economise and perhaps reduce consumption to less than the limits allowed would penalise supply authorities in future percentage allocations. “‘ln view of this suggestion it appears necessary to advisd that this is not the case. It is always the intention to equitably distribute the available power; and, subject to de-fence-requirements and known circumstances existing, this principle has been adopted. .Several instances of this were noticeable when the latest allocations were decided.

“I trust, therefore, that if any supply authorities have (been restricting their full efforts to reduce their consumption, due to the misunderstanding that such efforts would penalise their future alloca tions, this explanation will now remove such ideas and allow a full effort to operate.—Youth faithfully, F. T. M. Kissel, 'Electricity Controller.’

’“My board has reduced its percentage of allocation as low as 16 per cent in some weeks, which is in the vicinity of 200,000 units per week. Notwithstanding this fact, we are only to be allowed the same allocation as other boards who will receive a 2 per cent, increase above the overuse of its allocation by quite a considerable amount of .power. Badly Penalised

“I immediately got in touch with Mr Kissel by telephone on Thursday, after reading the statement in the daily press and was concerned about the fact that this was broadcast through the press, yet so far supply authorities, who are the main persons interested, had not received any communication whatever from the department. He advised me that this would be in the post that day and should reach the board in the course of the next day or two. I discussed the matter very fully and told him my board would be very hurt over the fact that in all good faith they had assisted 1 the department and their consumers in every way yet by so doing they had been very badly penalised.

“This position may not affect the board for a few months until we reach the corresponding weeks of this .year when metering came into effect, which may be possibly six months, but if we are now not allowed to use the amount of our savings and it goes into the common pool, our consumers will be extremely penalised, and with the prospect of primary producers requiring power, electricity in the house, in order to increase production for the next one or two years or more, I can only state that the board and its consumers are going to be definitely penalised. Primary Producers Affected

“I think the board should take the matter up direct with the controller and send a copy to the advisory committee, who I understand as per their ■circular letter are meeting again in May. The actual position if the board had not metered waterheaters would hb, that it would have allowed them

to allocate an increase of an average saving of 12 per cent., plus the 35 per cent, allocation for the current year, plus 2 per cent, for next year, equalling 175 per cent, instead of 2 per cent. “That is the position as I see it today, and until we get a communication from the controller stating his reasons for penalising this board fo? effecting economies and helping the supply during the present crisis. I have nothing further to add. If the ■board’s allocation is not modified, this may ‘be detrimental to the primary producers in the board’s area and thereby affect the national war effort.”