Feilding Protest at Water-heating Charges

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 61, 15 March 1944, Page 6

Feilding Protest at Water-heating Charges

A strong protest against the increased cost of power to the consumer through the metering of water heaters was made by Mr. P. G. Guy (Feilding) at a meeting of the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board. For a considerable period, it was ascertained, the board had been metering all new water heaters when they have been installed, and last October the metering of those already in existence was commenced. By the end of January this had been completed in the whole of the board’s district except in the Feilding borough. On February 1 the installation of the meters in Feilding was commenced, and the work is now well under way. In many of those cases where the meters had been installed, it was explained, it was found that the cost of power had increased considerably. ‘‘lt appears,” Mr. Guy said, ’’that the board is trying to increase its revenue. It made a profit of £ 19,000 last year, and it seems that it wants to make more this year.” He quoted a number of cases in which the electricity account for February had risen as much as £1 for a single private consumer. The chairman (Mr. J. Boyce) said that he thought Mr. Guy was forgetting that the board would need the money it had put aside in work to be carried out after the war. Mr. J. 11. Mason said that he, too, had received a number of complaints, but he had assured the consumers that the matter would be dealt with by the board, and he felt that that was right. “The system of metering the heaters is only in its experimental stages,” he said, “and all will agree that it is the only successful way we can keep down the consumption of electricity by these appliances.” If the board's income had increased because of this, he was certain that it would reconsider the matter. Other members agreed with what Mr. Mason said. The chairman said that he felt that the present water heating charges were too high. ’’However, I agree with Mr. Mason that metering is the only successful method of conserving the power,” he added. ”1 am certain that everybody agrees that the fiat-rate system is very unsatisfactory.” The intention of the board had not been to increase charges, but, as Mr. Mason had said, to conserve the power. The engineer (Mr. W. A. Waters) explained that the water-heating tariff was based on the same revenue as before, provided that a 20 per cent, cut was made in the use of the heaters. This was what the Government had intended, and the prices had been approved by the Trice Tribunal. The matter was referred to the incoming executive for reconsideration.