ELECTRIC HEATING.

Shannon News, 11 September 1923, Page 4

ELECTRIC HEATING.

GOST FOR DOMESTIC USE. SOME; INTERESTING FIGURES. “News” representative, enquiring into the probable cost of electric lig|ht and power, was supplied with the following informative article by Mr J. M. Bingham, • Electrical Draughtsman to the I-lorowhenua Power Board lt T.he utilisation of electrical energy for heating and cooking purposes is a development so recent as far as New Zealand is concerned, that little, information on the subject has. become available for the general public.. It is the purpose of these few notes, therefore to give a rough indication of what can be done and how costs should work out at the nates chaiged by the majority of Power Boards m the ‘ Wellington Province. Electric heating service usually (infers from lighting and motor service in its value to the user and the character of the load it adds to. the Power Boards’ lines. - -Motor and lighting service is more or less a necessity to the consumer, but when it comes to the use of electricity for cooking’ purposes, the prospective consumer will nise this class of service only, if the, rates be made sufficiently attractive to show a clear saving over other methods of cooking and heating. , , .Moreover Power Boards welcome cooking and heating loads for several technical reasons, which it is not advisable to discuss just now. The applications of electricity to this, class of service are many and varied. The following examples are only a few of many that. could he enumerated Cooking ranges, water heaters,, loot warmers, dentist’s sterilisers, curling irons, hath heaters, soldering - irons, incubators and brooders, welding apparatus, radiators, domestic irons, kettles. In this, district, however, those applications which are suitable for domestic or farnii purposes will attract the' most attention. This will probably ibe cooking ranges, water heaters ‘.(including kettles), domestic irons, incubators, brooders and radiators. ;Let me deal with these four uses iii, order No one whoi has us©d or had an experience of electric ranges for household purposes will deny that they are far and a,Way superior to other classes of ranges, both for economy and cleanliness, and a few statements, together with figures from, actual cases will not prove amiss. As far as cleanliniess is concerned, there can be no doubt, about this. There is no smoke, soot o,r ashes, neither is there any smell, and these facts alone make the electric. range a veritable boon. As regards danger from electric shock, this is practically negligible provided only reasonable care is exercised, and this statement applies to all classes ol electrical appliances. „ Fire hazard is also nil, as all- ranges are effectively protected by fuses and all wiring must pass rigid tests. If a range is to be used economically, however; a certain amount of skill (domestic, not (electrical), is required and the average housewife usually prides herself in this direction. The following four examples are compiled from figures supplied by the Christchurch City Council, and are taken at random from a number of specific cases. Lighting units are m- . eluded in the total units used but may be regarded as negligible for the purposes of comparison :

It will readily be seen, tbereiore, that an average range under ordinary conditions, should cost somewhere about £1 pea 1 mouth at the rates charged by the Horowhenua Power Board. This figure, oi course, is ,-merely an estimate, but is based on tactual cases.

The cost of installation is also another consideration, .but this, varies according to the make or size oi ..range. Generally speaking a range •;of iroin 3 to 5 kilowatt capacity •.should prove ample for a family oi 4 to IQ persons. ' ev Domestic irons and radiators need ;<no introduction to the public. Ihe •average iron or radiator is rated at approiximaiieiiy .6 'capacity, and at ljd per unit should cost about Id per hour. .--Water heating in tine Horowhenua Electric Power Board’s District is on ; a flat rate of £9 per kilowatt per ‘-annum. . . . Efficient protection against loss oi heat, must of course, be maintained, •but a li k,w. heater at an all-round efficiency of 80 per cent, should raise the contents of a 30-gallon tank 100 degrees Farenheit in eight hours. In the Horowhenua District there are large numbers of poultry farmers, and it may be of interest to know that electric incubators and brooders have proved higjhly successful. The superiority of electricity for this purpose is obvious and there are incubators on the market which -are capable of maintaining the. temperature within 1 to J a degree of the desired temperature. As regards current consumption, this figure is very low, being only about 10 units per 100 chicks hatched at lid per unit, this works out at .15d per chick. These few particulars, while not by any means comprehensive, are sufficient to give an idea of the advantages of electric cooking and heating to the-consumier, and it is hoped that when Mangahao does begin to deliver its energy, that the people of the Horbwhenu-a will take advantage of the -exceedingly low rates offered by the Power Boards for this purpose.

No. consumer B o; c o> Connected load. Cooking. Units used S S cS per annum. C> CO 05 r co £ oc £ tt cost per annul at per uni <! O C C . *Sr- fcar*