HEATER RESTRICTIONS CAUSE DISCOMFORT FOR MANY WORKERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27082, 17 May 1949, Page 4

HEATER RESTRICTIONS CAUSE DISCOMFORT FOR MANY WORKERS

* Workers in Dunedin shops, offices, and factories which are not centrally heated shivered yesterday between 11 a.m. and noon, and from 4 p.m. until their times of closing up to 6 p.m., when the electric radiators on which they relied for heating were cut off as a result of the power cuts ordered by the Electricity Controller, Mr A. E. Davenport. The cuts took effect yesterday morning for the first time, and shoppers in Dunedin were struck by the colder atmosphere inside city retail stores when they left the sunny streets in the morning. When mist came down over the city in the afternoon, the cold became even more penetrating, and the first day of the restrictions more irksome. The ban on the use of electric radiators during peak loading hours became necessary as a result of the failure of a generator at the Waitaki power house. In the meantime, the generators at Waipori are being used to assist in meeting the deficiency in peak loads caused by the failure of the Waitaki generator.. The storage of water at Lake Mahinerangi for the production of power at Waipori increased over the week-end by ljin, bringing the level of water stored to 90ft 71 in, which is regarded as most satisfactory. Central Otago people are not beirfg called upon to restrict their use of electric radiators, as they do not draw their power from the Government's South Island system, but generate their own. For this reason, the Central Otago Power Board at Alexandra, and the Teviot Power Board at Roxburgh have imposed no restrictions. The question of restrictions in the area fed by the Otago Electric Power Board’s plant at Milton will be considered by the board this morning. The Daily Times was told' 3 by Mr L. W. Potter, the board’s secretary, that no official advice had been received about restrictions, but the board would consider recommendations to-day that the same cuts as those in operation in Dunedin, Port Chalmers, and the 'Taieri Plain should become effective immediately in the board’s district and should continue as long as restrictions were necessary. The cuts now imposed in Dunedin are not the same as those imposed last year, which were more general. Towards the end of April of last year a cut of 10 per cent, was instituted among all users of power in the district. A restriction on the use of water heaters was brought into force in the following month. No announcement has yet been made in respect to general restrictions on the use of power. Before the unfortunate break-down occurred at Waitaki. the hydro-electric power supply position was regarded as satisfactory.