POWER BOARD FINANCES.

Matamata Record, Volume XIV, Issue 1193, 5 February 1931, Page 1

POWER BOARD FINANCES.

EFFECT OF METERING. Consumers Reap Benefit.

A reduction in revenue from consumers of £ll2l 7s 4d and of £3370 7s 2d in the cost of power purchased from the Public Works Department were outstanding features of the financial statement for the nine months ended on December 31, 1930, presented at the February meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board. Notwithstanding the reduction in revenue the financial position for the nine months ended shows a decided improvement. The nett revenue for electricity for the period amounted to £88,745 18s Bd, against the amount of £89,867 6s for the same period in 1929, when consumers were mainly on the flat rate, only a small number of consumers being then on meters. This shows a nett reduction in revenue, from consumers' of £ll2l 7s 4d; There should also be added the revenue that would have been received for the additional connected load for the past 12 months, which on the flat rate basis would have amounted to a very considerable sum.

Purchases of power by the board for the quarter show a small increase of £l3 15s sd. over the September quarter. The reduction for, the nine months against the same period in 1929 is £3370 7s 2d. Maintenance charges have remained stationary. Administration charges show an increase of £llls 18s 6d, this being brought about mainly by the increased cost of remitting interest to London and Australia, amounting to £3BB 15s 6d, and the cost of reading meters, canvassing and demonstrating, amounting to £833 11s 4d, making a total increase of £1222 6s lOd for the nine months.

The position under metering is that the load being put oh the lines gives the board a much greater diversity than was the case on the flat rate system of charging. ' Details of the board’s income during the nine months are as follow: — Meter Consumers. —Lighting £22,833 12s 6d, domestic power £11,222 2s 6d, power £8541 17s Bd, milking and farm motors £33,735 /11s 7d, water heaters £5436 12s sd. Flat Rate Consumers. Lighting £562 7s 7d, heating and power £752 5s 3d, farm motors £l7Ol 4s 6d, water heaters £413 10s 2d, excess butterfat £2500, street lighting £914 5s 9d. The principal items of expenditure for the period are as follow, the figures for the corresponding period of 1929 being given in parentheses : Power purchases £27,438 5s 8d (£30,808 12s lOd), interest and sinking fund £41,717 12s 6d (£41,717 12s 6d), administration £8355 14s 9d (£7239 16s 3d), maintenance, etc. £8914 Is lOd (£9OSS 17s 9d), motor upkeep £2843 15s 8d (£2512 19s 8d), depreciation £2926 3s 6d (£3750), discounts £9368 Is 3d (£6602 18s 8d).