Board Changes Tariff For Farm Power Uses

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 16

Board Changes Tariff For Farm Power Uses

Two basic charges for farm electricity were agreed to by the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board yesterday instead of the four tariffs now in force, and it was decided also to extend the special night rate for fixed-wiring domestic space heating.

There was a weakness in the tariff in that farm uses were split up under four different rates, said a joint report from the secretary-man-ager (Mr V. G. Mason) and the engineer-manager (Mr S. E. Slatter). They suggested the C2 rate, now restricted to poultryfarming and irrigation, for all farm power except for waterheating. This allowed the first 200 units a month at 23c, and the balance at Lie a unit, plus fixed charges. Bate E, now restricted to dairy water-heating, was suggested fw all farm waterbeating at a rate of 035 c. On these proposed rates, they said, the board would gain about $BOO a year in revenue, but the $6 per horsepower minimum charge for irrigation motors was pe longer necessary, and should be cut out By doing this, the board would save on metering, and the maximum decrease in revenue would be $5OO.

The change, they said, would mean that milking

Plants and other farm supply would show a reduction, but charges for other uses would increase. Heating for pigfarms would be dearer, but this could be countered by encouraging users to take power at the night rate of 0.65 c a unit Night-rate power, available now only to commercial and and industrial consumers, should be available for domestic use on storage space heaters, at the 0.65 c charge, and between 8 p.m. and 630 a.nt The board could not give an afternoon boost to these heaters, but it could be that, by next winter, a type of beater would be available that would not need a boost “We would certainly help all farmers to get on to the cheapest rate,” said Mr Mason, after explaining that some farm accounts would be higher, some the same, and others lower. He quoted examples—s 24 to $lB under the proposed tariffs, $l9 to $l6, $8 to $l4, $3 to $7, $5 to $l2, and $l2 to $2O. The charges in tariff could not be made until accounts read and rendered after November L and a complete change on farms would be a gradual process because of necessary meter and subcireult changes. The suggested changes were approved.