Power service charge for small users

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 355, 25 September 1990, Page 7

Power service charge for small users

Customers requiring King Country Electric Power Board staff to go out in the middle of the night and fix power cuts to small installations that use very little power may be faced with a separate service charge in future. General manager Peter Till reported to the September board meeting that many of these installations are hooked to control rooms manned for 24 hours and these control rooms insist on service from board staff at any hour of the day or night and yet they only pay for a standard fault service. What made it worse was that many of the installations have battery back-up and don't need

an emergency call out. He told the board an analysis of costs showed the board lost money on supplying many of these very small installations. Total costs came to about $213 per year

while the board received only $204. He proposed a special charge be levied for service calls between 10pm and 6am, similar to that charged by Telecom - ironically one of the

groups demanding special service. The board has resolved to write to those customers likely to be affected by such a service charge and seek their reaction.