ELECTRIC COOKING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17392, 1 March 1922, Page 2

ELECTRIC COOKING.

LAEGE USE OF WATEE-HEATEBS. During the discussion of Mr F. Black's paper on "Electricity Demand," read before the Civil Engineers' Conference, at Wellington, Mr L. Mandeno, borough engineer of Tauranga, created interest by his remarks on the domestic uae of electricity at Tauranga-, where in some respects it has developed more highly than in any other place in New Zealand. From what Mr Mandeno said at the conference and in a later chat with a reporter, it appears that the most notable feature of the electrical consumption in Tauranga (which has a small water-power station) is that about 2o per cent, of the houses are equipped with electrical hot-water systems. These consume, according to the requirements of the householder, either one-third or one-half of a _ unit per hour, and operate day and night. The output- is an ample supply of hot water nt about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The charge for the current so used is approximately one-third of a penny per unit, and the plants use either eight or twelve units per day. For cooking the charge is ljd per unit. Mr Mandeno said that the hot-wafer systems were installed for £2 or £3 less than the average coal-heated hot-water equipment, and were most satisfactory. The extent to which homes were electrified was shown by the fact that on the average the households, if all their apparatus were running, would consume about 6 kilowatts each. The amount of electrical cooking done in the town was so large that it dominated the shape of the load curve. It was greatest in amount about 11.30 a.m., and tended to create a "peak" at that hour. The. municipality undertook the maintenance of the apparatus, and this ensured that its service was satisfactory. The supply system, Mr Mandeno said, had a moderate throughout/the 24 hours, for mining equipment, and also supplied at 200 horse-power to motors of which many were used for driving dairy factory machinery and milking machines.