ALL-ELECTRIC HOME

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 144, 21 June 1933, Page 10

ALL-ELECTRIC HOME

CONSUMER'S COMPLAINT 'A correspondent, "Householder," has written disagreeing with the' statement made by the Mayor, during the council's discussion of'.'the-new, "domes-tic'rate,-that there could be no complaint'as to the new rates, and that Wellington's rates were" now :as low as'those ia Christchurch, though, the system's of charging are different. "Householder" does not agree with this statement, and holds that there is a longstanding ground for complaint as regards domestic power rates. He says that householders who have gone in for all-electric homes (lighting, cooking, radiators, water heating, etc.) are penalised in comparison with those who use lighting power only, as there is no discount on heating units; He states that his last bill was. £4 0s Id, of which £2 13s Id was for cooking, heating, and other uses other than lighting (637 units at one penny per unit, without discount). . In Christchurch the charge for those units would be,1 at three farthings per unit, £1 19s 9£d, a difference of 13s 33d iv favour of Christchurch. "Hbusohoider" also points out that electric water heating in Wellington, in ■ his experience, is unsatisfactory, largely owing'to the fact that tho water heating rate is granted for eight hours ■ each'day' only, while in other ' towns and cities a twenty-four hour service is given. He suggests that at least the council should permit the use .of water heaters for two hours during the afternoon, say, from 2 till 4 o'clock, otherwise such installations will have to be removed and replaced by- direct flame heaters. ' ' . . • Another Correspondent, "Muzzled," asks whether tho type of electricity produced-in New Zealand is more dangerous than that generated in. other parts of the world. ,He states thathe recently purchased a wireless set of world-known manufacture and was informed that the flexible cord does not comply -with New' Zealand regulations, and also that the powers that bo propose examining household installations at regular intervals and that that work is now in,progress. • • : The positiou regarding flexes is that many imported wireless sets. are equipped with cords suitable for 110 volts, largely standard in. the United States and elsewhere. Hero the standard voltage is 230 volts, and in the interests of safety a more heavily insulated flex is insisted upon. The regular inspection of installations is nothing new, for the regulations provide for periodical visits, again in the interests of public safety.