LIGHTING THE HILLS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 221, 22 October 1914, Page 10

LIGHTING THE HILLS.

LHEATHCOTE'S ELECTRIC SUPPLY. ; To-morrow evening the ; Heathcote' County Council will officially open its electric power supply for Cashmere -Hills. The supply, regarding which there has been considerable discussion, is theresuli of turning to use the excess power produced by the council's suction gas plant i used for pumping water to the higher levels of the" hills. When this producer | gas plant and machinery 'was first in- i stalled its surplus power' was.intended to run a dynamo for supplying electricity for street lighting, it having been discovered that this method Would resalt in a great reduction in cost, for, apart from the initial, cost of and wiring, the power costs nothing to produce, the machinery having to be used for pumping water in any ease. But the original intention • was extended,: " the ■ suggestion being made that electric power for domestic, use could be as easily and cheaply produced, without any addition to the plant. Eesidents of. the hills agreed, to. take the power, and a - 24kw. generator was installed, which is considered to be able to supply all the requirements for some years to come. It is claimed that the cost of supply will be much lower

than the price the.: city is expected to pay for the Lake Coleridge power, for no expenses will have to be met after the first cost of material and" machinery (itself only, a small amount) .has been paid, and the council does - not intend to make a profit out of J the service, but to reduce the cost-as the; cost /of production lessens.. ... . . ; A : - ... ■ :■■:':. '."'

That the cost to the .'-consumer-; will be small will be seen from the fact that for a residence using six lamps of 3.6 candle-power, the charge will be' 9- per quarter, but a discount of 2/- will bring the actual charge down to 7/- per quarter. The charge and the discbunt is to be regulated according to the power and the number of lamps used.