LIGHTING CHARGES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16866, 1 February 1929, Page 8

LIGHTING CHARGES

POWER BOARD SCALE A CONSUMER’S ARGUMENT While very little is beard in Gisborne to-day of the complaints relating to high lighting-current accounts, which fell upon the Power Board in a veritable wave, some months ago, there are some consumers of electrical current, who are not ready to admit that the board lias solved all. this problems associated with Hie supply of electricity which have contributed lo the rostiveness of a 'section of the board's customers. Grip of the outstanding questions relates to the proportion of the entire cost of electrical service borne by the lighting-current accounts, as compared with the doiriesiic.cooking accounts. Light costs 7d per .unit in Gisborne, while current for cooking is considerably cheaper, working out at between Ijd and 2d per unit for the average household. 'The di.spa.ritv between (be two rates fs no greater than those shown in other centres, hut this .fact is merely regarded, in some quarters, as an indication that the whole syffiem of electrical charges requires .overhauling throughout the .Dominion. CHANGE IN SYSTEM WANTED. A Gisborne consumer approached the chairman of (be Poverty Bay Power Board to-day with renewed arguments in favor of a change in the system of .allocating the expense of currant production and distribution, as between the lighting and cooking mads. He pointed out. that the lighting accounts accrued only through two or three hours of each day, whereas the cookers anil waferheaters were in operation for longer periods, his principal argument being that it was unfair to make the lighting consumers bear a rate of 7d per unit for current used during only a fraction of the time the other consuming agencies were in operation. Regarding the peak period, which occurs during the early part of the evening, lie remarked that the waterheating load was added to this peak, and that, if the lighting accounts were assessed at 7d per unit simply he cause they accrued during the peak hours, ! lio.ro was no justification for giving water-heating current, during the same jieriod, at a lower rate. The consumer was not. convinced thpf the system of charging for current was good simply 'because it was similar lo that adopted elsewhere, and argued that thevariations made as between one town mid another pointed to the necessity for a general overhaul of the power charge principle. BOARD'S’ ATTITUDE.

The chairman of the board, Mr. Ball, mentioned in reply that on tlm question of tho water beating load being imposed on the peak period, there would be some adjustment made in the future, possibly by the general installation of time switches, which would keep this load oft - the peak hours. On the general question of tho disparity beiween the charges for the lighting and cooking consumption, Mr. Ball agreed that tbe last, word bad not been said; tbe principle need not be regarded as completely settled. However, be urged patience on tbe consumer, and stated that it was the cooking load that would eventually enable tho board to lower charges to those who took current merely for lightbeating load, be indicated, resulted in a return to the board over tbe whole period of the day, whereas tbe lighting .load was confined to two or .three hours a day only. Actually, the cooking load would return as much as the lighting load, lie thought, for though the charge per unit was lower, the consumption continued throughout a longer period. The aim of the hoard was to give universal electrical service, and when that aim was accomplished, or at any rate carried to an advanced stage, the lighting .■consumers would ha ve cause Jo be thankful for the cooking load.

PVrisi'ily it was not correct- to say. Mr. Ball commented, that the lighting consumers were being made to hear an inequitable share of the total cost of the supply. If there were no cooking load at ail. the board would still have to meet, the lighting peak each day, and either would have to maintain plant to cope with it or would have to undertake a contract with the Government for a sufficient supply.of Waiknremoann never to carry the load. The cooking load gave the hoard an opportunity to use the supply while it was not in demand by the lighting consumers. and it. thus represented a sour ip of revenue without additional oxnriisr. to disregard which would he quite unsound from Hie 'business point of view. Li tho lighting consumers would have patience, they would find tin* cooking load a .source of relief to them. In Auckland, for instance, the building up of iho cooking load had enabled the power hoard there to reduce lighting charges substantially, and he' hoped the same would ho possible in Poverty ' Bay, once tbe nrogrnmmc was completely established. Patience should be tho watchword for the lighting :onsnmers. Mr. Ball concluded.