OVER SEVEN MILLION UNITS SOLD.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 May 1930, Page 7

OVER SEVEN MILLION UNITS SOLD.

u HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD'S BUSINESS LAST YEAR. Comparison of Four Years Shows Steady Decline in Working Costs. Consumers Reap the Benefit , Facts and figures relating to line construction and the connected load of the Horowhenua Power Board, fcoth for the past financial year and for the whole period to March 31st last, also a comparison of various factors and conditions for the last four years, during which the working cost per unit has steadily decreased, were contained in. the annual review presented to the Board by its Engineer (Mr J. A. Smith) ori Tuesday. Inter alia, the report shows that over seven million units of electricity were sold during the year—an increase of more than a inillion in a year and nearly three and a-half million in four years. While the revenue per unit has decreased —representing a cheapening rate \to consumers—the operating cost has also fallen and is now .89d per unit sold as compared with 1.115 d in 1926-27. .The number -■ of consumers has risen in each of the four years, and .showed its greatest increase for that period last year, when it reached 3301. The particulars are as under:— LINE CONSTRUCTION. The following schedule gives a summary of line construction : , Constructed Total to ' : during the year. Mar. 31,1930. Soute miles of three wire E.H.T. 4m. 32ch. 155 m. 52ch. Do. L.T Bm. 79ch. 136 m. lOch. Do. L.T. under E.H.T sm. 79ch. 93m. Bch. Do. service lines .... ...... 12m. 40ch. 116 m. 47ch. No. of street lamps ...." 11 354 Total wire in lines and service lines 139 m. 59ch. 1906 m. 58ch. No. E.H.T. insulators 909 20,859 No. L.T.. insulators 2,758 40,715 (Shackles not included) SUMMARY OF CONNECTED LOAD. Connected during Total at the year - Mar. 31, 1930. . Industrial motors 74 191.850 h.p. 393 3034.26 h.p. Milking & separating motors 114 130.958 h.p. 536 744.958 h.p. ~' .Milking sheds 499 ! ""> 'Ranges'. 72 445 - Water-heaters ...... 134 769 Consumers 325 3301 Lighting k.w , 84.895 lew. 1130.162 k.w. Total k.w 1156.367 k.w. 9660.237 k.w. The units sold during the year were 7,232,714, an increase of 1,117,384. "These figures," states the report, "show a very satisfactory increase in both the connected load, giving •different service, and in the consumption of electricity, 'which has increased steadily through the year, and from indications there is every prospect of similar conditions pertaining during the current year. FOUR-YEAR COMPARISONS. "The following schedule gives various comparisons oyer the last four years. It shows the steady increase in units sold. The annual load factor, ,which represents the ratio of average load to maximum load, has increased each year. The demand factor—i.e., ratio of maximum load to total of. connected load—has decreased. The, average nett revenue per unit'sold shows that the units are being sold to the consumers at a cheaper Tate each year. Working costs per unit show a steady decrease. All these conditions are satisfactory." 1926/7 1927/8 .1928/9 1929/30 Total connected load, k.w. 6623 7551 / 8504 9660 Maximum load, k.w 1688 1968 \ 1964 2142 Annual load factor 40.4 p.c. 41.12 p.e. 42.32 p.c. 45.1 p.c. Demand factor 25.1 p.c. 26 p.c. L 0.09 p.c. 22.1 p.c. . Units sold 4820.819 5906.235 6115.330 7232.714 Revenue per unit sold .. 1.687 d 1.56 d 1.52 d 1.46 d Operating <jost per unit sold l.llod 1.05 d .963 d .^d No. of consumers 2584 2782 2991 3301