THE ELECTRIC POWER DEPARTMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16709, 1 June 1916, Page 8

THE ELECTRIC POWER DEPARTMENT.

CRITICS ANSWERED BY CR SHACKLOCK. Cr Shacklock, in moving the adoption of the Electr.c J. J ower and Lighting Committee's report at the City Council last evening, replied to a statement by Mr U. Lawrence on the question of charges made by the department. Ho said these ctiargcs were fixed by the council on the recommendation of the engineer, and tlio committee and the engineer were now carrying out the instructions of the council. When these regu.lat.ons were revised he pointed out that his waa a now business, and that the regulations as to price were not necessarily ideal, and as time went on they, hoped to revise them. Although the present regulations might Dot be ideal, they were the best they had had for a long time. When this matter was before the council he had explained S9me of the alterations necessary, and had detailed some of the anomalies which existed. He mentioned particularly the question of the 30 h.p. motor on our lines, which at the end of the first 12 months returned only £1 12s 4d, and he stated that it was not worth having if it 'did not give a proper return. One of the things they had had to learn was that they could not compete with the Gas Department as regards intermittent users. It would bo better for these users to instal a gas engine, because they could get their power at a lower rate than the Elcctric Power and Lighting Department could supply it. In this way the Gas Department might come into its own. It had been stated that the Electric Power was monopolised by a few large firms. There were 620 power consumers, of whom 50 were supplied at special rates, requiring a guarantee of an average load of 60 per cent, of their maximum demand. The balance of the consumers were supplied at ordinary rates, and about 100, or 20 per cent., were affected by the new conditions with regard to minimum consumption. A considerable number of these had already arranged to do their work during restricted hours. The total horse power of motors connected. exclusive of trams, was 7700, and the horse power of motors affected was 800. or 12 per cent, of the total horse power of motors connected. The consumers supplied B-t ] l-3d per unit were: The Tramways. Paper Mills and the M'ilburn Cement Company, each 'for motors running 24 hours per day. In the case of the Paper Mills, the department had the right to cut off the total load of 50 h.p. between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. durinp- the winter months. In the case of the | Mjlburn Lime and Cement Company, the department had the right to cut off 200 h.p. for two hours per day on the peak load during two months in winter. It had been said that there were cases where power consumers' accounts were less than half what coal came to in the case of lit cam power. This was one of the chief reasons why electric power was adopted. It would never have beeu installed if a considerable saving could not have been effected. On the other hand the department's rates were low enough to keep a certain class of consumer. Mr Lawrence had said that the variation in price between 1-od and 2d per unit was very unfair. Cr Shacklock said the reply to this was that the Milburn Company at l-3d per unit paid an average of £8 10_s per horse-power per annum, and men using lg horse-power at Id per unit £6 2s; T& horse-power at Ud per unit, £4 2s; 9 horse-power at 1.7 d per unit, £4 19s; 7 horse-power at 1.25 d per unit, £4; and Mr Lawrence, with two motors, or 19 horse-power, at 2d per unit, 16s per horse-power per annum. Each horsepower represented a capital expenditure of about £30. and if a consumer required to have the right to use his motor in the winter time during the peak load, the department would , require plant to supply him. Interest on this alone would amount to about £3 5s per horse-power. If, on the other hand, a consumer agreed not to use his motor during peak load hours no extra plant would have to be installed for his use. Referring to a contract with one large firm in the city, Cr Shacklock said that for the last year of the old contract the amount received was £324, wliile_ for the first year of the new contract it would amount approximately to £425. This was based on the month's consumption. Appioximately 1000 lc.w. of power load under special rates was cut off at 3 p.m. in the winter, and the consumer got a low rate accordingly. This represented the output of one machine at Waipori. If it was insisted that this should not obtain another machine would be required at Waipori, and this and other expenses would represent another £30,000

Or Hayward pointed out that a 26 horsepower gas engine cost about £120 per year, and a 13 horse-power gas enjpie cost £6 10s for a month, eight hours a day. Cr Black said that the large consumers were getting that power at a lower cost than Waipori could produce it. The small mail would nay up to 5d on a flat rate so long as lie knew what ho wa6 really paying, and so long as they could have a longer nso of the power. He asked howmany customers of 5 horse-power and under were affected. If the small consumers were using so little power, and had to pay so little monev, thev oould not bo a factor at all. Cr Sincock said he believed that if the committee was prepared to receive a deputation from the small users, thoy would be able to state a _ strong case. Some people were paying 3s 4d per horse-power, and some ss. The small users did not really understand the position when they took the power, otherwise they would not have quietly agreed to the regulations of the council. The Mayor suggested that further discussion on this matter might be postponed until the annual report was placed before the council. The report would deal comprehensively with this question, and if councillors were familiar with this report and the engineer's report dealing with the whole subject it would make the discussion much more comprehensible and valuable. Cr Shaokloek having replied, the report was adopted as presented.