Power rise set for April

Press, 24 February 1988, Page 5

Power rise set for April

Standard domestic electricity tariffs for the Riccarton Borough Council area will be increased by 22 per cent from April 1. The new tariffs for 1988 were released by the Riccarton Borough Council yesterday afternoon. Non-domestic rates are rising 25 per cent, while the night rate tariff is rising 5 per cent. The average tariff rise was 20.2 per cent for this year. According to Cr O’Meeghan, the considerable jump in tariffs was largely because of “high interest costs and the substantial increase in bulk electricity charges which made an average tariff rise of 20.2 per cent necessary this year.” He said that, “although

the increases in tariffs are higher than we would like them to be, in the prevailing economic circumstances anything less would be shortsighted and unrealistic.” Accoording to the council’s town clerk, Mr Don Hampton, last year’s mild winter meant electricity sales had fallen below budget, and some “catching up” was necessary. He said that the new tariff scales had been specially structured to encourage domestic and commercial consumers to make more use of cheaper night rate electricity. A 10 per cent discount for due accounts paid within 14 days was also seen by the council as an advantage.