Power Cuts Reimposed From Tomorrow Night

Northern Advocate, 18 March 1948, Page 4

Power Cuts Reimposed From Tomorrow Night

ELECTRICITY cuts are to be reintroduced to the Whangarei Borough as from midnight tomorrow. Power will be cut off from residential areas of the town for 15-minute periods between 4.50 p.m. and 5.40 p.m. in accordance with the schedule operating in June last year. The use of hot-water heaters between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. will be banned, and the use of radiators or other space-heating equipment between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. will be prohibited. Consumption is to be reduced to 95 per cent of the present weekly allocation.

PORTLAND SHUTDOWN These decisions were made by the Whangarei Borough Council’s electricity load control committee at an emergency meeting this morning. The reintroduction of the power cuts is due to two factors. In the first place, the Portland shutdown has deprived the borough of a considerable amount of power generated from waste heat from the ment kilns. The lack of coal is the

prime reason for this loss of power. Secondly, the low levels of Lakes Taupo and Waikaremoana have reduced the productive capacity of state hydro-electric undertakings, necessitating a reduction to 95 per cent of allocations. POSITION OUTLINED At 9 a.m. today, the council received a letter from Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement Ltd., outlining the position which had arisen. Two hours later the electricity load control committee, of which the Mayor (Mr W. Jones) is chairman, met to discuss what measures could be taken.

“Acting on instructions received from the electricity controller, you are requested to limit forthwith and until further notice, your weekly consumption of electrical energy to 95 per cent of the weekly allocation of units,” stated the letter. “We will advise you from time to time of any change in the new allocation. • “The weekly consumption of units must not exceed the number of units consumed for the same period last year,” the letter pointed out. CONTROLLER’S LETTER A copy of a letter from tje electricity controller (Mr F. T. M. Kissel) was also received from the company. This correspondence stated that the exceptionally long fine summer and dry conditions at Taupo and Waikaremoana, coupled with difficulties which were being met in obtaining all the coal and oil required by steam stations, had made it necessary for the present rate of generation to be reduced meantime. The rainfall at Waikaremoana in the past four months had been only one third of the average. The lake was 25ft below full, and was still falling at the rate of 6in per week. At Taupo, the February rainfall was one third of the average amount and only 2ft storage remained of the sft available when the lake was full. STANDBY STATIONS The combined output of standby stations was lower than last year owing -to the lack of coal and oil stocks and the loss of output could not be made good as the hydro-sta-tions were temporarily affected by the dry conditions. Therefore a reduction to 95 per cent .of the weekly allocation was requested Considering the information before them, committee members observed that there was no alternative but to re-introduce the June schedule, imposing restrictions on the use of water heaters and radiators. Such a step was regretted, but no other course was open. Details of the times and areas in which cuts will be made will be published tomorrow. IN COUNTRY AREAS Restrictions continue in the North Auckland Power Board’s area. The supply is being discontinued daily between the hours of 1.30 a.m. and 4 a.m. and on Sundays there will be an additional cut from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Domestic water heaters are limited to 84 hours a week. In the Bay. of Islands Power Board area the only restriction so far is on domestic water heaters, the use of which is permitted only between 7.30 p.m. and 7.30 a.m. each day.