ELECTRIC LIGHT CHARGES.

Evening Star, Issue 21786, 31 July 1934, Page 12

ELECTRIC LIGHT CHARGES.

TO the EDITOE. . ■ Sir,— Recently in an issue of your paper the announcement was made that the Electric Power and. Light Committee had decided to reduce the secondary charge for electric light for domestic purposes from Id to |d per unit. On reading this I thought it w r ould hot make much-difference townie, as I am a small user; but oh "the first, reading of my meter I got , quite a surprise and found that instead of a reduction I have to pay an. increase. It happens this way: The meter reader Calls and my meter (which I. read, the previous day so as to have the ihoney -ready'for the collector) was registering 1,050 units. The previous reading was 1,029 units, and 1,029 subtracted from 1,050 leaves 21 units to .be paid for. The meter reader wrote out the bill and said: “5s 7d to pay. • ’ I said: ‘ 1 You liave given us ft slight reduction this time,” and he said “ Yes ”, and was gone. Naturally I .had a look, at the bill and saw that he had dropped one unit, making it 20 units instead of 21 units. and fof this unit I, pay 5d on my next bill in place of Id on the present bill. Under the old charge 1 would have paid 5s 9d for tlie 21 units—--12 units at 5d and 9 units at Id per unit Under the new charge, when the thing is worked out, I shall have paid 6s- the,ss 7d paid for 20units, 12 at sd, 4 at Id, and 4 at |d; total, 6s 7d; and 5d for the unit transferred to my next bill. In company with a : friend I met the meter reader two days afterwards, and he explained that lie had to drop one unit, as he could not deal in farthings. He could not charge Id for the odd unit; because |d was the charge. I told him he had no right to transfer that unit to my next bill ana charge me 5d for it wlicn T should pay Jd' ; and what if I used 13 units nexo reading. He .replied: “I shall have to drop one unit again.” I then said: ‘ t shall have to pay lOd for two units A should pay lid for.U •He said.he could not help it and that it-would-wont out all right next time, but he ,did not hay whether lie meant for Miie or the corporation. There is something wrong here, and I would ask is it the intent.ou of the B.P. and L. Committee that tins sort of thing should be done, and if not ’will it take steps to remove- the injustice, particularly in regard to small users. 1 have been told that the meter readers do not deal in half-pence. If that is die case and two units are registered over and above the the 5d 5d units, what becomes of them ?—I am, etc., Square Deal, , July 23.