TARANAKI POWER BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1931, Page 2

TARANAKI POWER BOARD

REVENUE TOR HALF YEAR CHARGES TO DAIRY FACTORIES. ALTERATION OF SYSTEM Nat®. ■The Taranaki Power Board meeting yesterday was attended by .Messrs, it. G. Carman (chairman), C. Foreman, J. Dobson, R. J. Knuckey, C. E. McGuinness, M. J. Gernhoefcr, H. J. Marchant and N. H. Moss. The number of consumers at September 30, 1931, was 2133, the engineer reported. Units generated during the month totalled 939,000. The largest daily output was 33,000 units on September 26, and the maximum demand 1944 k.w. occurred also on that day. New Plymouth had drawn supply on two ordinary occasions for short periods, and on three special occasions during the night while work was being done in the borough council power station. Installations connected during the month, figures for the corresponding period last year being given in parentheses, were: Milking motors 8 (19), other motors 2 (4), stoves 2 (3), water heaters 8 (20), pumps 1 (4), lighting and heating (new) 5 (16), lighting and heating (add.) 10 (27). Work proceeded ,in a normal manner at the Mangaotea cut, 23J days being spent in sluicing work and 12 hours in odd work. An additional transformer had been erected on Hastings Road to give necessary improvement in stove service. The Gordon Road line had been reconstructed from the old termination of the high pressure. The high pressure line had been taken to the end of the road, and two additional transformers erected, a three-phase at the end of the road and a single phase at Mr. Cleland’s. The Rawhitiroa line immediately east of Eltham borough had been reconstructed to carry high pressure lines to a new transformer for necessary improvement of the service. The job had not yet been livened. DEGREASE OF REVENUE. Revenue receipts for the half-year ended September 39, 193'1, with previous year’s figures for comparison, were:

'The expenditure for the half-year ended September 30 was: Purchase of power £l4 4s. Id.; generation, £264 18s. 2d.; distribution, £Ol 15s. 4d.; transport, £53'5 17s. Id.; stock, £968 14s. 10d.; trading expenses £369 Bs. lid.; salaries and wages, £3960 18s. 7d.; travelling expenses and -members’ fees, £175 Is. 7d.; rent, rates, insurance, postage, etc., £772 17s. 10d.; printing and stationery, £157 9s. 6d.; rates refunded, £42 2s. 9d.; interest on loans, £13,705 Bs. 4d.; principal repaid, aud sinking funds, £3825 16s, Bd.; advances to loan, capital items, etc., £l2l'l 18s. 7d.; miscellaneous, legal fees, sundry office expenses, etc., £306 3s. 9d.; total, £26,372 16s. The engineer reported on the system of charging for power for dairy factories. At present the charge was of a dual nature, the primary charge being based on the maximum demand for power and the secondary charge on the number of units used. If the motors were not in use no charge was made. IRREGULAR. USE. Several factories had installed mechanical stokers, and as they were not using their motors regularly they ■were not making a reasonable contribution to the board's revenue for the eervicea available. Although not in regular use the motors were used at times for standby purposes and the board was compelled to maintain transformers of considerable capacity near these factories without the assurance that a corresponding revenue would be received. ■lt was recommended that a primary capacity charge be instituted based on the horsepower of the motors installed, and such to be payable monthly whether the motors were used, or not. A motion was carried amending the form of the charge as follows: A primary charge of ss. per month per ampere of maximum demand as recorded, or of 2s. 6d. per mouth per horsepower iu rating of motors installed, whichever be the greater. The capacity charge would be waived during July, as many factories are not operating then. It was explained that the secondary, or unit charge, would remain as at present. The cost of power would not be affected where factories were using power for the major portion of their requirements.

1931. £ ■1930. £ Rates, >1930-31 .... 1,047 9 „ 1929-30 282 2,261 „ 1928-29 .... 603 935 „ 1927-28 .... so 242 40 8 67 48 1.066 1.478 Current 22,3'51 22,500 Installations 1,437 2.785 Interest 1'12 179 Sundry 59 188 Totals . .. £27/744 £30,633 Excluding New Plymouth, the revenue •from current for the halfyear was £19,972, compared with £18,078 for the previous year, an increase of £994. The actual meter readings for the five months April to August showed an increase of £161, as follows:— 1931 1930 £ £ •B6roue r hs .... 3074 3117 .... 1442 19S0 Counties •... .... 16,093 20,448 Totals £20,609 £20,448