ELECTRICITY ON FARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 57, 8 March 1930, Page 12

ELECTRICITY ON FARMS.

METERS OR FLAT RATE? BOARD CHANGES OVER. THAMES VALLEY DISTRICT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) MORRINSVILLE, this day. From time to time the officials of the Thames Valley Power Board have received complaints from consumers who have had meters installed after being on the old flat rate' system. Experience shows, however, that the cost of electricity to farmers with electric milking plants is less when charged by the meter than under the old system. The board has 7200 consumers; but it has still another 5000 meters to install.

Reporting at this week's meeting of. the Power Board, the' manager, Mr. R. Sprague, stated: "Consumers who have been on meters for two readings show a decided reduction on the units used for milking machines for the second reading when comparisons, are made with the first reading; this follows out the experience of all supply authorities who have changed their policy in the same manner as this board from flat rate to meters. "Quite a lot of investigation has been made by the staff with milking plants, since meters have been installed, for which no charge has been made; The trouble appears, practically in every ease, with the milking plant, and. not the electrical side. The advice given has resulted in a more economical running of the plants, and the main cause has been the 'speed of the vacum pump.' "Owing to such a lot • of" the staff's time being taken up with these queries, it is now proposed to issue a circular, setting out the main causes for any unnecessary high consumption of power by milking machines." • '■'.•'"■■ ! j