A Prosperous Power Board

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 58, 31 May 1927, Page 14

A Prosperous Power Board

INCREASED REVENUE DOMESTIC LOAD RISING Y SURPLUS of £64,428, as , an estimated surplus £34,000, and an increase in revenue of £105,000, was shown in the reports at the annual meeting of the Auckland Electric Power Board yesterday. The chairman, Mr. VV. J. Holds•worth, said that the year had shown remarkable activity in all departments, reticulation, loads, and revenue. The jump in revenue was due chiefly, to the rise of the domestic load, which now represented 29.4 per cent of the total sales of current. The working expenses, £235,897, coincided closely with the estimate.

hut capital charges were £10,724 in excess, due to the fact that it had been necessary to raise the last loan of £250,000 earlier than was expected. THE BOARD’S FUNDS Almost all of that money had been raised in London as a second instalment of the board’s £650,000 loan. It had been spent in general reticulatiorj in readiness for the change-over to water power, and the balance in hand on March 31 was £86,107.

The power fund on March 31 was £44,317 in credit. Reserve funds were now earmarked to meet expenditure due in 1931, and to apply to particular works. MANY MILES OF CABLE During - the year 1,288 miles of overhead cable had been laid, representing 419 route miles of line. Stocks in hand and coming to hand were at present valued at £183,000. The following comparative tables were shown bv the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley:

the Horahora power, 14,088,010 units having been purchased from thisti source. From the total of 66,207,786 sold during the year, the proportions representing the various classes of loading were: Commercial and general lighting, 10.7 per cent: street lighting, 2.3; power supply, 28.4; traction, 29.38; domestic, 29.14. Receipts per unit sold had decreased from 1.955 din 1925-26 to 1.866 din the year under review. Mr. Bartley corrected the impression that any city with a direct current supply was out of date, for its use was, as a fact, increasing. The report was adopted.

1925-26. 1926-27. Total capital expenditure £1.956,688 £2,186,348 Total revenue £413,SSI £ 51S.550 Working expenses £1S8,778 £23. 5,S97 Interest and sinking fund charges .. £139,942 £167,974 Surplus £44,860 £64.428 Units generated 51,559,320 65.544,216* 14,07 7,010t l ’nits sold . . 50,52S,290 66,207.786 Working cost unit generated .73d. 71d. Number of consumers 31,458 34.498 tPurchased. , The following table show s the net price per unit sold: — 192627 27. 26. 27. Units. Value. £ d. d. Lighting 7,101,S43 147,009 4.66 4.97 Domestic .. 19.13S.S47 125,632 2.56 1.57 P u blic light . 1,492,475 34,853 4.16 5.60 Power . IS,959,703 117,148 1.34 1.4S Traction 19,514,918 103,411 1.35 1.27 The general manager reported that business had increased srreatlv. The fullest advantage had bee* taken of