POWER CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 March 1939, Page 8

POWER CONTROL

MEETING OF WAIRARAPA BOARD INCREASE IN REVENUE. REDUCTION TN AVERAGE UNIT PRICE. (•‘Times-Age” Special.) The chairman, Mr A. Campbel! Pearce, presided .at the monthly meeting of the Wairarapa Electric Power Board, held at Carterton today. Others present were: Messrs S. Dalgleish, W A. Tate, M. B. Tait, W. Howard Booth. 11. P. Hugo. F. C. Daniell and J. W. Colquhoun. The Secretary Manager, Mr George Brown, said that the revenue returns for February disclosed a satisfactory position. It was the first direct monthly comparison possible since the new method of charging for domestic supply was brought into operation and the increase was satisfactory. Net revenue for the month for domestic supply, excluding cooking and water heating, amounted to £l4OB which was a 5.8 per cent increase on the £1330 collected for the corresponding month ol last year. It was interesting to note that although the number of units sold increased by 8.9 per cent, the revenue increased by only 5.8 per cent, showing that the increase was on the low step units. That-accounted also for the reduction in the average price per unit.

Mr Brown said that the position for the whole of the supply for February showed that nee revenue increased by £374 16s lid over the same month of last year For the first eleven months of the year revenue showed an increase of £2,240 12s Gd over the figures for the corresponding pericd of 1937-38. That-was offset to a certain extent by the amount by which the cost of power had exceeded the estimate. Cost of power had shown a very large increase this nuarter and if the present peak was not exceeded it would exceed the estimate by £164. Indications were that for the year, cost of power would show an increase of £3416 as compared with last year and a gain of £4BO on the estimate. The increase in the turnover in the trading department had been well maintained, the increase in the amount of installation work carried out being especially noticeable. The number ot consumers was now 5847 and there were now 1058 electric ranges in the district.

It was stated that the Loans Board had granted the necessary authority for the board to proceed with the £25.000 reticulation loan No. 2. Accounts amounting to £5293 10s 5d were passed. “It is the biggest increase we have ever had,” observed Mr Brown when referring to the increased cost of power. “We will, however,” he added, “show a profit, but at the same time it is a point that will need to be watched.”

It was stated that to date this year only 30 refrigerators had been sold as compared with about 65 for the same period of last year. Mr Brown attributed the decrease in sales to unfavourable season.