THOSE GAS ACCOUNTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 1 September 1923, Page 3

THOSE GAS ACCOUNTS

REPORT BY CITY ENGINEER Further information in. connection v jth the complaints regarding the gas hills for the month of June was given l:y the City Engineer at the Council neetiug last evening in the following report submitted;— “In connection with tho complaints at-out. the. June gas accounts, i have gone into the ligures and lind that tin; aggregate there is no variation front last year.

“The returns for last year are:— cubic feet. o/o Gas sold 53,652,006 So Municipal service, including street lighting 2,815,700 1 Gas accounted for 7 4,467,706 Gas unaccounted for 6,991,700 :1 Total gas made 63,408,400 -100 “For tho four months ending 31st July last they are as follows: — cubic feet. o/o Gas sold 21,092 900 85.2 Municipal service 843,700 4 Gas accounted for 21,936,000 Unaccounted lor 2,662,800 10.8 Total 24,599,400 100 “As the Town Clerk explained and has stated on his return of gas sold the meter reader was on leave and apparently had not completed the reading of the meters for May, consequently those that wore not read would run on until they were due to 'be read the folk wing mom hs and in stead of a four weeks period some c-i >suinor.s’ bills were for three weeks and some for live, weeks. The same ti ng happens every year. For instance :

1922 1923 June 4,397,600 May 4,170,300 July 5,727,300 June 6,613,000 Aug. 5,204,700 July 5,028,000 “To say that the bills for any one month are exorbitant without taking into account the dates of the meter reading is misleading. In most cases the consumer is the person most likely t., know why his account is larger than oidinary and it is useless for him to blrino the meter or any action of tl ose in charge of the works. We do not supply different quantities of gas t .• different parts of the city or to dif--I'oient consumers, nor is the pressure varied as some seem to suppose. The figures given prove conclusively that 'lie consumption is at the same per-e-utage rate as last year.” 'l'lie Mayor said the report contained vt luable information.