USE OF ELECTRICITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22032, 12 February 1935, Page 5

USE OF ELECTRICITY

THE AUCKLAND BOARD NINE MONTHS' SURPLUS REDUCED RATES SUGGESTED A surplus of £26,790 on the operations of the Auckland Electric-Power Board during the nine months ended December 31 Mas shown in a report presented by the secretary, Mr. X. 31. Speer, at a meeting of the board yesterday. At the end of the corresponding period of 1933, there was a surplus of £17,673. The possibility of a further reduction in rates was mentioned by the chairman, Mr. W. J.„ Holdsworth, in commenting on the satisfactory position of the board's finances.

The receipts for the period were £485.382, current sold accounting for £479,339. The sale of current for domestic supply amounted to £199.904, for power £143,337, for lighting £95,340, for traction £'50,872, and for public lighting £31,229. Working expenses totalled £252.742, including £151,550 for power purchased from the Government, £38.842 for distribution, £11.821 for repairs and maintenance, and £23,44-1 for management expenses. Exchange accounted for £2B,SIS. There was a credit balance of £202,639 carried forward to the net revenue account, and in this account £108,553 was set aside for interest, £52,945 for sinking fund, and £32,156 for depreciation. After other charges had been met, and a credit of £24,000 from the Government toward the cost of the stand-by plant had been taken into account, the surplus was £26,790. Increase in All Classes The number of units, sold in the last nine months of 1934 totalled 104,316.014, as against 97,389,604 in the corresponding period of 1933. A total of 123,576,960 units had been purchased from the Government, so that the registered consumption accounted for only 85.153 per cent of the amount purchased. < Commenting on the figures, Mr. Speer said the units sold showed an increase under all classes of supply, and the same position was reflected in the revenue, with the * exception of a slight reduction in the return from traction and street lighting, as a result of the lower prices being charged compared with" the previous year. The - total revenue from supply was 1.103 d a unit, against the figure of ].130d for last year. Costs also showed a falling off, the total costs being . I.o{>4d a unit as against 1.l Old. ''The growth of business generally during the last nine months has been rather more marked than for the previous couple of years," Mr. Speer added. "The relationship between units purchased and units sold, however, still shows the same discrepancy that was pointed out when the half-yearly statement- was presented, and we. are now commencing an exhaustive investigation into the possible sources of this." Benefit of Lower Prices Mr. Holdsworth said it was pleasing to notice that, as the board from time to time reduced prices, the load continued to increase. The domestic supply was again forging ahead, and even lighting had showed a marked i increase. "If the position remains. good at the end of the financial year it will be for the board to consider a further reduction," he added. "It will be impossible to give a cut that would affect every branch of our supply, because our undertaking is too great for that. Possibly the small motor might come up for a reduction. It would give assistance to existing small industries and would give a chance for others to start." «*

In reply to a question, Mr. Holdsworth said the 15 per cent margin between the units purchased from the hydro-electric schemes and the number of units accounted for was being closely investigated. It was difficult to say what might be the cause. Possibly the board's meters, many of which were now fairly old,, might be "easing down." Mr. Speer added that the margin was not much greater than normal.