CITY’S DOMESTIC TARIFF

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 195, 15 May 1936, Page 6

CITY’S DOMESTIC TARIFF

. Lowest in New Zealand DEPARTMENT’S POLICY IS BRINGING RESULTS In general opinion a city’s electricity service will stand or fall on its domestic tariff. Though householders realise they are paying for street lighting, they will condemn or approve the whole service if they pay inordinately or reasonably for the power they consume in their homes. Wellington was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to instal a public electric lighting system, and to-day its domestic tariff is cheaper than anywhere else in New Zealand. This is bound to encourage the use of electricity, not only for lighting, but also for domestic equipment, such as radios, heaters, ranges, irons, jugs, and so forth. Indeed, it seems that there need be no limit to the extent to which electricity can be used in the home. It is -17 years ago since it private company first made available a supply of electricity iu the city of Wellington. The supply in its initial stages was confined to the lighting of tho streets, but as its advantages were recognised by citizens its use was gradually extended to business houses and private residences. The supply was carried on anil developed by the company until 1907, when I he business was taken over by the City Corporation. Before the transfer of the undertaking to the city, current was supplied for all purposes at a charge of 9d.. i after deducting tho discount o.f 3d. a unit. Ou taking over tho supply the corporation reduced the unit iiate to 7d., with a slight concession for consumption over 200 units n month. ■ With the growth of the business ami the introduction of more economical methods of generation, and particularly since the hydro-electric supply became available in the city, the corporation has been able to reduce’ the tariff from time to time to the different classes of consumers. Meter Methods Change. In pre-war years current consumed in residences for heating and other purposes was metei’eq separately from lighting requirements, but when it wls faced with an acute shortage of meters in 3917 the dopar(inenl decided to, introduce the one-meter .system. The lighting or primary units were based on the averages of a large number of actual meter readings taken in dif-ferent-sized residences. The Wellington residential tariff is now generally recognised to he one of the simplest from the consumers’ point of view In operation in the Dominion. Under the regent revision of the domestic tariff consumers, after paying 4d. a unit for the small assessment of lighting units each month, obtain the balance of their requirements at id. a unit, which is tin exceptionally low rate ami one which can be economically applied to all household uses, including the beating of water. Although some electric power supply authorities in the Dominion are of the opinion (hat a greater use of the supply can be obtained by assisting consumers financially—even Io I lie extent of supplying appliances below cost —limn by reducing Ihe eosl of current to a minimum, the Wellington management believes that Hie attractive rale now made available will lead to a large increase jn the use of rhe supply in homes of thousands of its consumers.

The .soundness of lids policy is shown by the fact that already there are indications of a rapid increase in consumption, and in some suburbs the consumption shows an increase of 15 per cent, over the corresponding period of last year. Consumers who require financial assistance for Hie installation of additional appliances will receive the utmost consideration when (hey place their requirements before the ptlieer in charge of I lie “Now Business Branch” at Electricity Douse, Cuba •Street.