USED TO DIM LIGHTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24101, 21 October 1941, Page 8

USED TO DIM LIGHTS

PUBLIC ADAPTATION FEARED BOARD'S POST-WAR PROBLEMS It is felt that the public generally will become so used to reduced lighting that when there is again an abundance of electricity available it will take many years to return to pre-war conditions, stated Mr. _W. B. Darlow, chairman, at a meeting of the Waitemata Electric-Power Hoard yesterday, in a report on the 1941 Conference of Electric-Power Boards and Supply Authorities of New Zealand.

Several years ago, Mr. Darlow's report added, a co-operative move was made bv power hoards and the electrical trade generally in the direction of a "better light, better sight" campaign. This had the effect of increasing the demand for higher wattage lamps for domestic lighting, with a corresponding increase in the revenue of boards. Appeals since made to consumers by the Government and supply authorities to reduce the wattage of' lamps had reversed the situation, however, and had resulted in a shrinkage of revenue. Another difficulty facing power boards after the war was mentioned in the report. It stated that many boards had large loads imposed on their systems for war purposes, and these were returning a considerable amount of revenue. On the cessation of hostilities this source of revenue would probably disappear, and it would be difficult to substitute other forms of load to make up for the lost revenue.

Most power boards were experiencing an increase in load without a corresponding increase in revenue, with the result that they were now expending over 50 per cent of their revenue on the purchase of current. The general feeling among supply authorities was that any further reductions in charges to consumers could not be made as operating costs were increasing every year without the necessary increase in revenue.