DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY

Shannon News, 20 January 1928, Page 4

DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY

A PHENOMENA!, G&OWtfH

NEABLY 60 PEB CENT. INCEEASE IN TWO YEAIiS.

“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 payroll for the day is the quarterly account ended 31st December, 1927, for electricity supplied through; the Public Works Department, the amount being £4764 19s 7d, which is £Bl7 18s 4d more than the account for last quarter. The highest peak for the quarter wap 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 as follows:

Total for three quarters £12,293 7 8 The estimate at the beginning of the year for the cost of electricity was £15,550, so that with another quarterly accouht 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 furnishes useful evidence:— Public Works Department charge for Electricity consumed for Quarter ended 31st December—

The chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) referred to the above statement as tjie outstanding feature of the treasurer’s monthly report. From the engineer (MI 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 2332 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 the purchase of electricity, but in that case he hoped that it would also exceed the estimate of sales.

In answer to a question by Mr T. G. Yiriceijt, the chairman said there had not been any mistake in the amount charged to the Board. The Secretary stated that the peak for which the Board was paying was on ! Monday, November 14th, between 8 and 8.30 a.m. The Board was paying for 3332.49 k.v.a. getting well on to two million units.

During another discussion, the chairman said it was possible that the Board had made exceptional progress, if it was taken into consideration that, whereas the Board contracted to take 1200 h.p. at the end of five years, it was taking just over 3000 h.p. at"the end of three years. The report was received, on the chairman ’s motion.

For quarter ended — £ s. d. 30th June .. 3,581 6 10 30th September .. ,. 3,947 1 3 31st December .. ... 4,764 19 7

£. s. a. 1925 2996 12 0 1926 ., 3730 0 0 1927 4764 19 7