HUTT VALLEY ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

Hutt News, Volume 19, Issue 20, 17 October 1945, Page 4

HUTT VALLEY ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

———<$> ■ Ratepayers will have noticed from recent press reports unci public notices 'Ilia! the Bonrd is proceeding It) r;tis<* further lo:in monies :tn<l as security for such, a, rale is beint', struck upon iii«' unimproved value of llu' rateable property within the Board's urea. This lo;.ui if; tor the purport "1 erecting electric iines to supply electricity 1.0 the lance number of Government houses which are beiu.-; built at, Ta.ita, and lse where. .ami to private houses and other consumers. It is fell that it is important (hat ratepayers should bo advised thai, there is little-or no prospect of this . rate heihtf collected because the interest; and sinlcinK fund payments on ' these loan monies will be jnet. out. 01. the revenue receivd from. 'lie sales of electricity to the. new consumers. Since the inception of the Hoard o\er 2:'. years a-tfo it. lias mu-er been necessary to call upon any rate struck, . the revenues of (he Hoard having, xuel. all charges necessary for the j maintenance and administ rai but expenses ot (he Hoard, •Since 1 {♦:{;"» the monies required for new works have been provided i ))v advances from the Hoard's revenue account, and up to I lie .list. Marc)), 1 <14F. the total amount so advanced was A,*-*,>>.m. During this period the Hoard has also reduced the charges for electricity to consumers. The general, policy of the 1 Hoard has been to supply electricity to its consumers at as low a rate us possible and the charges have now been reduced to the point where the amount of profit avaiable in. the luture will not. be sufficient to meet the large capital expenditure retiuiied. for the many new consumers who will have to be connected within the next few years.Jt; should also lie pointed out that the capital expenditure per consumer in the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board's area is one of the lowest in New Zealand. At the HLst. March. 1944 the capital expenditure per consumer was only £25 per annum. whereas the average capital expenditure for all of the Pov> ot Boards in New Zealand was — per consumer. Kven with these new capital monies the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board will be the Board, except for one- very small rural Boaj*d, with the lowest capital expenditure per consumer in New Zealand.