WATER HEATERS DISCONNECTED

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27962, 8 May 1956, Page 12

WATER HEATERS DISCONNECTED

Three Breaches Of Restrictions

ACTION TAKEN BY M.E.D.

Three consumers of the Christchurch Municipal Electricity Department have had their electric water heaters disconnected for an indefinite time for breaches of the emergency power restrictions.

The use of electric water heating is banned completely in houses where there are alternative means of heating, and allowed only at specified times where there is no alternative.

Offenders detected by inspectors of the department are given 24 hours in which to lodge an excuse, failing which or failing acceptance of the reason, the heater is disconnected. Mr G. H. Battersby, engineer-manager of the department, said yesterday that all three offenders had made unsatisfactory excuses.

Inspectors were out again yesterday to check on the wrongful use of water heaters or radiators, which are completely banned. Mr Battersby said that up to last evening he had had no complaints. “I am afraid it is a bird that has to be hunted at night.” he said, commenting that wrongful use of heaters was probably not prevalent in daytime. Mr Battersby said he was sure that the excess consumption of power in Christchurch was caused by water heaters and radiators, and inspection would have to be stiffened. Last week, the district exceeded its allocation by 5.2 per cent.—“too much.” Mr Battersby said. -The increased consumption on cold days was so great that he was certain that radiators were being used. Last Tuesday, a cold day, consumption was almost 10 per cent, above allocation, and on another cold day, Thursday, it was the same. On Saturday, it was only 2 per cent, above allocation.

SOUTH ISLAND STORAGE

900,000-UNIT DROP IN 24 HOURS

With Highbank not producing, general cold weather, and the run-off from recent back-country rain ended, South Island power lake storage dropped by 900,000 units in the 24 hours up to 9 a.m. yesterday. It was 57.090.000 units. Lake Tekapo fell by .3ft and Lake Pukaki by .06ft. The weather in the lake catchment areas yesterday was overcast and calm. The 25,000-kilowatt generator at Highbank will be out of action until Thursday at the earliest. The station was shut down on Saturday when it was feared that a child might have fallen into the supply race. When it was started again on Sunday morning a bearing overheated. Mr W H. Gregory, the district engineer of the State Hydro-electric Department. said yesterday that a new bearing was being made in Christ church. It was hoped that the station would be ready for testing tomorrow and that’it would run again on Thursday. “RESTRICTIONS MUST REMAIN” MR DAVENPORT’S LETTER TO SUPPLIERS (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 7. The present 40 per cent, power cut in the South Island must remain in force, said the general manager of the State Hydro-electric Department (Mr A. E. Davenport) in his weekly lettei to supply authorities. A summary of the restrictions now applied showed wide variations among areas, and that sacrifices were not being shared equally, said Mr Davenport. This question had been referred back to the South Island Emergency Power Committee for its action. The degree of compliance with individual allocations showed some marked changes, and had also been referred back to the committee. South Island consumption. at 15.000.000 units, was 7.8 per cent, above allocation. The storage available, of 57.000.000 units, was 4,000 000 units greater than it was last week. In the North Island, consumption was .2 per cent, above the allocation. Storage at Lake Taupo was down from 29 to 25 per cent, of full, and at Waikaremoana from 9.1 to 8.7 per cent, of full. Mr Davenport also said today that unless mechanical or electrical difficulties intervened, the first of the four 25.000,000 kilowatt generating sets a 1 Whakamaru could be put into commission within days, and the second would be in operation a few days after that.