YEAR OF PROGRESS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20502, 19 May 1938, Page 15

YEAR OF PROGRESS

DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY CENTRAL WAIKATO POWER BOARD GREATLY INCREASED SUPPLY Another year of continued progress was reviewed by the oh airman of the Central Waikato Electric-Power Board. Mr T. Hinton, when presenting his report at the annual meeting yesterday. The speaker stated that the progress outlined compared very fav-

ourably with that, of any other year since operations commenced. The demand for electric supply had not diminished during the last year which had been a very busy period. ; Indicating the progress that had Ihepn made, the speaker stated that the : p-rnss sale* nf electricity yielded £78.537. compared with £69.419 in the previous year. Discounts allowed amounted to £2489, being £316 more than In thp year before. Units sold amounted to 18.962.792, as against 15.861,420, an Increase of 19.7 per cent. There was a substantial increase in all uses of electricity, with the exception of milking motors. Although the number nf motors Installed had increased from 1607 to 1751, some previous users had changed from dairying to sheep. A| present no adjustment in the number actually in use had been made. The average, number of units used per motor was 880. compared with 952 previously. The total receipts for the year, excluding loans raised, amounted to £97.609. compared with £82,206 In the previous year. Domestio Load Increases “During the last year the domestio load has been increased out of all proportion to the increases In other usps of electricity,” continued the report. During the year 247 electric ranges were installed, bringing the total to 821, an increase of 43 per cent. After presenting a table showing the progress of the rural and domestic demand over the past three years the report stated that at March 31, 1938, there was one milking machine motor to every three and a-half consumers, without taking 680 separator motors into account. There was also one water pump to every four and a-half consumers, one water heater to less than every three consumers and one electric range to every seven and a-half consumers. However, there* was still ample scope for further development, especially in the ase of electric ranges.

The financial result of the year's working was shown as a net profit of £5030. It was pleasing to note that with the increased sale of electrioity the working oost. per unit had again shown a reduction on the previous year's figures, In spite of increased wages and other costs. In the year ended March 31, 1936, the units sold was 13.675,076, the cost per unit being 1.030 d and the revenue derived from each unit sold being 1.061 d. In the following year the respective figures were 15,840,205, .982 d and 1.038 d; while the figures for last year were 18,962,792, .918 d and .978 d.

Continuing, the report stated that it had been the policy to reticulate only such areas as would return a fixed minimum percentage on capital expenditure. It had been the experience that once an area was reticulated the demand increased as the uses of electricity became better known, and some of those who had provided only for a minimum use or had stood off at the beginning, became important users. There was, however, no doubt that the intensification of demand on the more settled areas, with the relatively smaller capital expenditure necessary to supply such demand, had been the main factor in bringing up the percentage of revenue to its present high level. Problem of Supply “This intensification of demand brought about by the special concessions for installation of electric ranges and water heaters, the fuller knowledge of the uses and advantages of electricity, and the greater and freer spending power of the community has brought the hoard up against the problem of providing that its mains are capable of giving an adequate and satisfactory supply.” One of the main troubles during the last year had been to cope with this problem and In most cases the difficulty had been attended to satisfactorily, in other cases, however there had been a certain amount of dway. Included in the work done during the year to improve the supply had been the changing over of five miles of 3000-volt lines to H,OOO- - In addition, many low-tension lines had heen reinforced, and in some cases changed to H,OOO-volt. After detailing the difficulty that had been experienced In the raising of loans the report stated that there had been a very serious shortage of poles for 11.000-volt and 3000-volt work. All supply authorities had been similarly affected. Although ample supplies were ordered well ahead of requirements. it was impossible to obtain enough to supply the demands of reticulation and many lines were held up for considerable periods. This shortage led to special attention being given to concrete poles and the placing of an order for 100 specially made steel and concrete poles at prices comparable with those for best Australian ironbark poles. Several members enngratulated the chairman on the comprehensive nature of the report.