POWER BOARD’S PROGRESS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2788, 23 September 1924, Page 3

POWER BOARD’S PROGRESS.

OVER A THOUSAND CONSUMERS.

REDUCTION IN POWER CHARGES. At the monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Power Board, the engineer (Mr T. Overton) reported as follows : The total number of consumers signed up to date, are as follows.— : Lighting 1037 Ranges _ 50 Milking Motors 92 Water Heaters 64 Industrial Motors ....... 67

Eight milking motors were connected up in the vicinity of Shannon during the month. About 100 installations have been inspected. Four hundred and fifty meters have been tested during the period and a.start has been made erecting same. At the end of the month we shall have over 500 consumers ready to take supply. Tenders and Contractors.—The committee set up at last meeting met during the month and awarded the dairy factory group to the lowest tenderer—Messih H. N. Maunder and Co., Wagnanni. After consultation with the Pox ton Borough Council, their water supply motor was let to the lowest tenderer—also Messrs Maunder and Co.

Schedule of Charges.—ln order to meet cases put forward, such as the Manawatu Heads and other seaside settlements in the Board’s area, I wold recommend an additional rate as follows:—

Seaside Cottage Rate: —Annual minimum services charge 30/-. This payment shall ehtitle the consumer to 4ft units of electricity annually; all units used in excess of this amount shall he charged at fid per unit nett.

Our inspectors have been asked on one or two occasions to quote rates Cor shearing machine motors and as same are not provided for, I would recommend an additional rate as follows: —

Power for Shearing Machine Motors and the. like: — per unit, minimum charge; £1 per K.V.A. per

annum. With regard to the general power rate'(other than milking machines) at present in force, our experience after canvassing in the principal centres were this rate would apply, discloses the fact that prices work out high compared with internal combustion engines. I w.ould therefore recommend that this rate lie cancelled and the following substituted : General Power (other than milking machines) :—Pour pence per unit for the first 100 units per month; 3d per unit for the second 100 units per month and 2d per unit for all s units used in excess of this amount. Minimum charge's/- per K.V.A. of connected load per month, up to and including two K.V.A., and 2/6 per K.V.A. tier month for all over that amount.

General. —The local wiring contractors are having some difficulty in obtaining small motors for dairy installations and after talking the matter over with them, I am of opinion that the Board would be able to assist contractors considerably by securing these particular motors and passing same on to them to install in group contracts. I would therefore recommend that, authority be given to purchase quantities in order to meet urgent demands. RATES FOR SEASIDE COTTAGES In .moving the adoption of the report, the chairman said that the Board would be well advised to see that there was not a shortage of engines which' would hold up the work. The most complicated question raised by the report was the seaside cottage rate. Within the next few months there would he five seaside townships connected up. Whilst the Board wished to make things as easy as possible for the seaside cottage owners they must look to it that a loss was not made. It looked as if the rate proposed by the engineer should cover the case. It gave a reasonable concession in short period consumption cases but it was not one that advnatage could be taken of, as it would pay permanent users better to take the ordinary rate. Mr A. Ross asked if it would be possible to get the Foxton beach township connected up before the holidays. The engineer stated that the Board would be able to get the lines out. It would then depend on the contractors who were doing the «• wiring, unfortunately there was a shortage of wiremen. The report was adopted. METER RENT AND MINIMUM RATE.

Air Seifert said he had been told by. some of the Shannon consumers that they had to pay a minimum \ charge, a rue ter rent and a charge for the electricity used as well, if this were so it seemed a rather unfair way of doing things. The meter charge was unusual, he understood. The engineer stated that there was no minimum charge when the electricity used exceeded the minimum. Where it was below that amount the" minimum charge was made. Regarding meter rent, this was a fixed charge to meet the first charges on the money expended, and represented a substantial part of the revenue of the Board. The same service cost was entailed in the case of a small consumer, a church or a hall, as for a large lighting installation, whilst the revenue returned if the minimum charges were done away with would only be a few pence as compared with pounds in the case of the large consumers. CHARGES FOR CHUiCH LIGHTING. Mr Gunning said that the meter

rent charge pressed heavily on small consumers. Another matter was the charge made to churches and halls which were only occasionally used. The matter might be got over by making an annual minimum charge on a rather higher basis Ilian the average. In the church to. which he belonged the usual consumption was 24 units, with meter rent 10d. The minimum charge was 5/- for electricity and it seemed a high charge to pay 5/10 for 2i units.