CITY’S ELECTRICITY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 197, 22 July 1941, Page 4

CITY’S ELECTRICITY.

VOLTAGE DIFFICULTIES

Measures taken to maintain the voltage of electricity supplied to the city and the aims ot the City Council in equalising the supply to all parts of tlie city were explained in a statement which Cr G. Tremaine (chairman ot the iighting committee) made at a meeting oi the council last nignt. ‘‘The main from the Bunnythorpe siilo. station to the city becomes overloaded during the periods of heavy demand and considerable losses of current occur on the line,” it was stated. “The remedy is either the enlargement ol the copper main, or the duplication of the main. The Manawatu-Oroua Power Board has made every endeavour to secure additional copper wire and, although orders have been lost through enemy action, the board has now received 40 tons of copper cable lor this line and a commencement of the work is iK'ing made immediately. “If the council can secure permission to run the stand-by plant from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays the power voltage in the city can be maintained at a high level.” Every endeavour had been made to secure additional transformers for the city and as soon as these came to hand they would be erected where necessary. Meantime the co-operation of the citizens was still necessary.

The electrical engineer had advised that, although in some cases the voltage may drop below 230 during the periods of heavy demand, it may increase to 240 or 245 during the .hours of darkness so that the water-heating system has an average voltage of 230 ami no loss of electricity for the complete day. Cr J. Hodgens, M.P., commented that the statement was very timely and ‘remarked that at a meeting of the Power Board recently some members had considered f<liat electric signs on buildings, in respect of which there were contracts, could be cut off almost at will. The public were indebted to Mr L. A. Hogg, one of the members of the board-, for bis statement of the position regarding „ue signs. The electrical engineer (Mr J. W. Muir) reported that the units for June were 9 per cent, higher than June last year. However, the increase in April was 6.8 per cent, and May 4 37 nor cent., so that the average for the three months was only 6 7 ]>er cent., which was within the 7J per cent, increase allowed the council by the Controller of Electricity.