POWER PROSPECTS WORSEN

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27414, 29 July 1954, Page 12

POWER PROSPECTS WORSEN

M.E.D. District Again Exceeds Quota POSSIBILITY OF CUTS

If consumers continued to exceed their quota of electricity, the Christchurch City Council’s electricity committee would be obliged to impose further restrictions and discuss the possibility of complete power cuts, said the chairman of the committee (Cr. G. Manning) yesterday. He was commenting on the fact that the M.E.D. district exceeded its electricity quota by 11.3 per cent, in the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. The position will be considered by the committee when it meets today. The State Hydro-electric Department reported that by 9 a.m. yesterday, South Island lake storage for power generation had dropped a further 1,780,000 units" to 66,650.000 units. At the present rate of consumption this represents about 38 days’ supplies, but the useable level of the lakes makes the reserve considerably less. The weather was reported to be dry in the catchment areas. Freezing was heavy, and there Was no forecast of immediate improvement. Lake Tekapo yesterday was sft above retention level. Lake Coleridge 6ft above, and Lake Pukaki B£ft above. The loss of water reserves during the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday was more than double the drop of 810,000 units on the previous day. Heathcote Consumption Consumers in the Heathcote county were not responding to the appeal by the council for power economies, said the County Clerk (Mr R. W. Morris) yesterday. Consumption decreased in the first two weeks after the appeal, but the drop had not gone far enough, and on Monday the county consumed 12.1 per cent, more than its allocation of electricity. Restrictions at present included the prohibition of the use of radiators and water heating systems from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and a blackout of street lighting from midnight to 6 a.m., said Mr Morris. About half the water heating systems could be shut off centrally, but the shutting-off of the other half depended on the honesty of the consumers themselves.

Mr Morris said industrial users were more than pulling their weight, and by the use of stand-by plant, were saving about 15 per cent, of their normal power consumption. Water heaters and radiators caused the biggest drain on power.

“It is intended to make a further appeal to save electricity, but if it is not effective, the council may be forced to impose complete cuts,” said Mr Morris.