AUCKLAND POWER BOARD LEADS N.Z.

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 331, 17 April 1928, Page 16

AUCKLAND POWER BOARD LEADS N.Z.

INCOME OF £600,000 WHAT FIGURES DISCLOSE With an annual revenue of nearly £600,000 and 43,000 consumers, the Auckland Power Board is the largest board of its kind in the Dominion. rpHE annual revenue account sub- -** mitted to the board yesterday by the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, discloses a most satisfactory financial situation. Although the nett price per unit has been reduced from 1.860 pence to 1.703 pence, the increased amount of power sold accounts for an estimated surplus of £BO,OOO, This figure would have been greater but for the Government’s inability to meet the demand for power and the consequent necessity of having to generate increased supply from the King’s Wharf plant. In a table of comparison with last year’s figures the only three items showing decreases were commercial lighting, traction and meter rents. The reduction in. commercial lighting was due to grants made by .the board and was fully anticipated. Increased economies made by the tramway department are responsible for the falling off of £2,500 in revenue. The decred.s6 in' metei* rents is due to their being cancelled by the board at the beginning.of the March quarter. Bad debts amounted to 1 £947 18s 3d. being .159 per teht; only of the annual income. . The number of units sold for domestic supply shows* an increase of 10,000 over the 19,000 units sold last year, which gives' an increased revenue of over £40,000 from this source. The power fund account shows a balance of £99,000, compared with £ 4.350 last year.

Completion of the board’s balance sheet is delayed pending the arrival of a statement from London, but the delay is not expected’ to b 6 a long one.