APPEAL TO SAVE POWER

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27576, 5 February 1955, Page 2

APPEAL TO SAVE POWER

VOLUNTARY EFFORTS REQUESTED .

10 PER CENT. REDUCTION IN M.E.D. AREA

An appeal for electric power savings will be made by the electricity committee of the Christchurch City Council. Yesterday the committee considered recent warnings on the serious power position and the need for quota ration-

ing by the general manager of the State Hydro-electric Department (Mr A. E. Davenport). The committee decided to appeal to consumers in the Municipal Electricity Department’s area to begin voluntary savings from next Monday of 10 per cent, of their usual consumption. “The serious position of water storage, in relation to the consumption during the winter months, demands the co-operation of every consumer m restricting the use of electricity so that the minimum draw off from the storage lakes is made possible,” said the chairman of the committee (Mr G. Manning) reporting on the meeting last evening. “The savings made from now until the end of April may make it possible to avoid serious restrictions and hardship during the winter period. In the meantime the committee is in-

vestigating a system of quota. rationing for the difficult period after April. The position will be reviewed at the meeting of the committee next Thursday.

FURTHER RISE IN 'STORAGE

A further rise in water storage for the South Island power system was reported yesterday. At 9 a.m. the total storage was 102,650,000 units, compared with 96,550,000 units on Thursday morning. This figure is still far below the record reading on February 4 last year, of 209,500,000 units. River flows, it was reported, are dropping after the rise caused by the recent rains.

A delay of a week, because of river conditions, has been caused in the transmission of power from Waitaki to Christchurch on the 220 k.v. lines which will eventually be used to carry power from Roxburgh. In the meantime, these lines are carrying power from Tekapo at 110 k.v., and when the link is made with Waitaki the Tekapo Power will again be transmitted through Timaru.

The completion of a second tie line, between Addington and Islington, is expected soon. It could not be made until the new sub-station at Southbrook was completed.