Gas Losses At Lyttelton Nearly 20 Per Cent

Press, Volume C, Issue 29469, 22 March 1961, Page 17

Gas Losses At Lyttelton Nearly 20 Per Cent

A steadily increasing, unexplained loss of gas was the feature of a survey of the Lyttelton Borough Council gasworks operation presented by the Town Clerk (Mr J. Thompson) to the fortnightly meeting of the council on Monday. The report said gas not accounted for had increased to 2.800.000 cubic feet. In the year ended March last 13,840,000 cubic feet of gas were made at the works. The gasworks had been a financial embarrassment to the council for years, said the report. Amounts transferred from the electricity account to meet losses in the gas account were:— 1932-33 £2,000 1943-44 £9OO 1945-46 £7,000 1950- £328 1951- £BOO £11,028 From 1952, the electricity and gas departments were combined into a light, heat and power department and the gas accounts showed the following losses made:— 1952- £551 1953- £1,297 1955-56 £1,825 1957- £ 1,091 1958- £4.339 1959- £5,496 £ 17,599 Total £28.627 In view of’ these figures the survey suggested the only steps which could be taken by the council would be to increase sales of gas end coke; to increase the selling price of gas and residuals and to increase the efficiency of the works.

The survey suggested that it seemed unreasonable for the gas manager (Mr E. W Turner) to manage the works, act as fitter, complaints man, relieve stoker, and carry out the necessary vigorous sales campaign Selling was a specialised task and the extra money paid to an experienced salesman to promote the sale of .space heaters, apart from other lines, would be handsomely repaid if he could produce sales.

Unaccounted losses of gas had risen so steeply since 1959 that it now reached an annual wastage of nearly 3.000,000 cubic feet per annum. Up to 1959 the Lyttelton works had one of the lowest wastage rates in New Zealand.

The report said that to produce the 2,800,000-cubic feet of gas unaccounted for last year

would require 155 tons of coal costing £963. Sales of coke from this coal would produce £577 and tar £75, leaving a loss of £3Ol. The report recommended the employment of an experienced salesman to concentrate on the sale of gas space heaters; an investigation of the possibility of sales of industrial appliances, such as furnaces; the installation of a screening device to reclaim coke at present lost in ashes; that when an increase in electricity prices was being considered an increase in the selling price of gas should also be given attention; an increase in the selling price of coke to 6s 3d a bag; the erection of a plant for treating and heating the tar at the gasworks; an investigation of the possibility of sales of by-products and the production of new by-products and other avenues of productive work, such as the production of road patching material. The council decided that the Gas Committee should implement these proposals as soon as possible.