"THE DOMESTIC TARIFF"

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 30, 3 August 1940, Page 12

"THE DOMESTIC TARIFF"

CHARGES FOR POWER

"Inquirer" asks how the monthly and two-monthly accounts for electricity used by private consumers are made up: is the charge for lighting at eightpence a unit judged by the number of lights? Does a person with fittings for-one, two, or three lights pay as much maximum rate as one with eight or nine? The electricity department's accounts for domestic power are made up on a simple formula. The number of living rooms, less one, is multiplied by two, and the figure arrived at is the number of units charged at the lighting rate (Bd, less discount). Thus for a five-roomed house eight lighting units are charged, for six rooms ten units for seven rooms twelve units, and so on, with a minimum of eight units. All units registered on the single meter above the calculated lighting units are charged at the low power rate whether used for radiators, radio, ironing, or lighting. Only living and main' rooms are taken into account; bathrooms and the like are not counted. Before the last war lighting and heating used for domestic purposes were metered separately, but, largely because of short supply of meters, the single meter system was adopted, and an examination of many accounts showed that the calculation given above was very near the mark in private homes. The saving in meters m a city with Wellington's population is very great, and the system is simple enough. Water heating is, of course, outside, the "domestic tariff." as the arrangement is generally styled. Busiiness tariffs are also different.