Industry asked to save power

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33464, 20 February 1974, Page 12

Industry asked to save power

Urban domestic consumers of the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board may have to suffer more severe power cuts than others unless industry can make voluntary savings.

This was pointed out at a meeting of the [hoard yesterday by the general manager (Mr S, E. Shatter), who said that as 55 per cent of the hoard’s load was taken by industry this meant that domestic consumers, I who were required to save 5 per cent, might he cut by 10 per cent.

There was no compulsion other than a moral one on industry to save power, said

Mr Slatter. Industry was excluded from the power-sav-ing measures because of industrial commitments, and the need to maintain full employment. In many ways, he said, industries could save power by voluntary measures and, he was quite sure, from the way industry co-operated last winter, that this would again be the case. At Mr Slatter’s suggestion the board decided to send a letter to industrial consumers asking for their cooperation. When Mr A. D. Oliver asked about the effect of cuts on dairy water-heating the chairman (Mr L. F. Chamberlain) said this was classed as an industrial use and the controls were less extensive than on domestic water-heating. The board was told that in the week ended February 17 its consumption was 2.6 per cent belo.’ its allocation. As this was in relatively warm weather, said Mr Slatter, a greater effort would be needed. Mr Chamberlain said it was a good thing that the three-hour cut last Sunday by the West Coast Power ! Board had received a lot of publicity, as this had brought home to the public the need to keep within quotas. The cut had been imposed because the West Coast did not have ripple control to check the load.