ELECTRICITY IN BRITAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19098, 20 August 1936, Page 5

ELECTRICITY IN BRITAIN

INCREASE IN DEMAND ESTIMATES EXCEEDED (British Official Wireless.) I teed. 10 a.in. RUGBY, Aug. 18. The consumption of electricity in Britain continues to increase at a very rapid rate. The last annual report oi the Central Electricity Board stated that the expansion in Britain since 1929 up to the end of last year had been 60 per cent, compared with an expansion in the world output in the same period of 20 per cent. In the first seven months of 1956 there had been an increase of 16 per cent over the total at the end of last year, and the aggregate increase over the past two years amounted to 30 per cent. As a result of the remarkable growth in the demand, the Central Electricity Board had to hurry on with the schemes for extension of the grid system, the national 'system of transmission lines linking supply stations and co-ordinating the load.

Estimates of the future, consumption of electricity made in 192,6, at the time of the inception of the grid system, allowed for 385 units per head for the present year, but in consequence of the great increase in industrial activity and the rate at" which the demand was running, it appeared likely that an output of about 430 units per head would soon be required.