POWER SAVINGS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27403, 16 July 1954, Page 10

POWER SAVINGS

City Council Not Satisfied FURTHER ACTION LIKELY The Christchurch Municipal Electricity Department is likely to enforce its compulsory power restrictions much earlier this year than during previous shortages. The emergency committee met last evening and, although no official statement was issued, the chairman of the electricity committee (Cr. George Manning) indicated that the City Council might receive recommendations on Monday evening for a procedure of warning and action for non-compliance with the emergency restrictions.

“All I can say publicly at this stage is that we are dissatisfied with the savings made so far this week.” Cr. Manning said. The goal of 15 per cent, savings had not been reached in the first two days of the restrictions, and there was no improvement on Wednesday.

During its special meeting yesterday the emergency committee had discussions with retailers’ representatives on the co-operation they could give in savings. There was a further drop in South Island water storage for power in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. yesterday. The total then stood at 82.760,000 units, compared with 84,040,000 units the previous morning. The weather in the catchment areas yesterday was reported to be fine. There were no roster cuts at the time of the peak load last evening, but a large area of South Brighton and part of central New Brighton was without power through a failure in a pole-mounted switch. A big area was without power for 40 to 50 minutes from about 5.30 p.m., and -early in the evening a smaller number of consumers on two sub-stations were still without supply through repercussions of the switch trouble.