DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3743, 19 January 1928, Page 3

DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY.

A PHENOMENAL GROWTH

NEARLY 60 PER CENT. INCREASE IN TWO YEARS. 1

“The Bill from Mangahao” was how the Horowhenua Power Board secretary and treasurer (Mr. P. W. Goldsmith) headed a division of his monthly report, presented to the Board’s meeting on Tuesday. The statement was as follows: —

The most important item on the pay-roll for the day is the quarterly account ended 31st December, 1927, for electricity supplied through the Public Works Department, the amount being £4764 19s 7(1, which is £Bl7 18s 4d more than the account for last quarter. The highest peak for the quarter was between 8 and 8.30 o’clock on Monday morning, the 14th November. For the current financial year, the electricity bill so far has been

The estimate at the beginning of the year for the cost of electricity was £15,550, so that with another quarterly account to come, it is quite evident that the estimate will be considerably exceeded. As an indication of the annual growth in the development ,of the Board’s undertaking, the electricity account for the same quarter in respective years furnished useful evidence:—

Public Works Department charge for Electricity consumed for

The chairman (Mr. G. A. Monk) referred to the above statement as the outstanding feature of the treasurer’s monthly report. From the engineer (Mr. J. A. Smith) he understood that the Board had had all the units that were charged to it, and had sold them, or some of them. The engineer’s report showed that the peak for the December quarter was 23.32 k.v.a., as against 1815 k.v.a. for the same quarter in the preceding year. There were 356,952 more units purchased than in the same quarter of 1926 —an increase equal to 22.16 per cent. Apparently the Board was going to exceed the estimate for (lie purchase of electricity, but in that case he hoped that it would also exceed the estimate of sales.

In ans Aver to a question bv Mr. T. G. Vincent, the chairman said there had not been any mistake in the amount charged to the Board. The secretary stated thfcit the peak for which the Board Avas paying Avas on Monday, November 14th, between 8 and 8.30 a.m. The Board avus paying for 3332.49 k.v.a. getting Avell on the tAVo million units. During another discussion, the chairman said it Avas possible that the Board had made exceptional progress, if it was taken into consideration that, Avhereas the Board contracted to take 1200 li.p. at the end of five years, it Avas taking just over 3000 h.p. at the end of three years.

The report Avas received, on the chairman’s motion.

as follows: — For quarter ended £ s d 3,0th June 3,581 G 10 30th September 3,9-17 1 3 31st December 4,764 19 7 Total lor three quarters £12,293 7 8

Quarter ended 31st December: £ s d 1925 299G 12 0 1926 3730 1 0 0 1927 4764 19 7