POWER SUPPLY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 February 1939, Page 9

POWER SUPPLY

MEETING OF WAIRARAPA BOARD SECRETARY MANAGER’S REPORT. INCREASE IN REVENUE. (“Times-Age” Special.) The monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board was held today at Carterton. SECRETARY-MANAGER’S REPORT. In his monthly report, the Secret-ary-Manager, Mr G. Brown, stated: “It has been pointed out in previous reports that the monthly returns comparing this year’s revenue with that of last year, will not be of much value until next month, due to the irregularreadings last year brought about by the change over of the meters when introducing the new domestic rate. For the first ten months of the year, revenue amounted to £47,063 8s sd, as compared with £45,197 12s lOd for the corresponding period of 1937-38. Revenue from the sale of electricity for the first nine months of the year showed a total gain on the estimate of £4,036 13s Bd. The turnover in the trading department continued to be satisfactory. “Considering the large increase in the connected load, and in the number of units sold and the revenue therefrom, the increase in the cost of power is within reasonable limits, and is a definite indication that so far the balance and diversity of our load has not been unduly disturbed by the change in the method of charging for- domestic supply. The increase of £2642 5s 4d is a substantial one. but was anticipated and provided for, and is well covered by the increase in revenue.

“Wages and salaries will show a substantial increase compared with the estimate. This is due, of course, to the increases in wages provided for in various awards and to the increases in staff necessary to cope with the steady expansion of the business.

“The estimated cost of insurance, postages, and telephones and general expenses is likely to be exceeded by a small amount, but most of the other items combined will be well within the estimates. The indications are that by the end of the year the expenditure will exceed the estimate by an amount of approximately £9OO. The capital expenditure to December 31 last, amounted to £15,729 15s lid.” It was stated that the number of consumers was now 5822 as compared with 5583 at the same date last year.