POWER ECONOMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21547, 28 October 1944, Page 6

POWER ECONOMY

CRISIS NEXT' YEAR? CONTROLLER’S WARNING CO-OPERATION REQUIRED The necessity for Continuing unabted the power-economy measures previously recommended and enforced upon electric-power authorities was impressed upon the Poverty Hay Electric-Power Hoard in a letter from the electricity controller, Mr. F. 'l'. M. Kissell, deait with at yesterday's meeting. The controller indicated that the outlook for next year offered no hope of an improvement in the power situation. "The total weekly unit consumption for the past few weeks indicates that there is not sufficient control being exercised by some supply authorities in reducing their consumption 1o within the limits allowed.” stated Mr. Kissell. For the past three weeks, as compared with the corresponding three weeks of last year, the peak load has been up 7.73 per cent, and the units generated up 4.97 per cent. During that period more than 50 per cent of the supply authorities have exceeded their allocation." The letter added that favourable hydraulic conditions had made it possible to meet the extra demands on national sources but the position next vear might not be so favourable. Statistics indicated, in fact, that it would almost certainly be less favourable. It was therefore vitally necessary that the consumption of electricity during the summer months be kept within the allotted limits. I r additional loads were to be connected now. it would be increasingly difficult to keep down to the rigid allocation that would be necessary next year. Small Poverty Bay Excess

Commenting on this letter, the man-aging-secretary of the board, Mu P. Baigent, stated that during tlm whole of September the district load averaged oniy 2.U9 per cent over unu carried in September, 1945, whereas the allowable increase was 2 per cent. The board, therefore, had done fairly well in restricting its load, thouga me weekly variation in unit consumption had been less favourable. It would be interesting, he thought, to compare the actual records of all boa.ds in the light of the earlier statements by the electricity controller as to savings made by boards which had installed water-heater meters, it was possible that some of those boaihls were among the 50 per cent oi aupthorities that had exceeded their quotas for September. The chairman, Mr. F. R. Ball, remarked amidst laughter that the 50 per cent might all be boards that did not meter waterheaters.

The board received the letter, and affirmed its previously expressed desire to co-operate fully with the electricity controller in the matter ol power economies.