POWER FOR OPUNAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1933, Page 11

POWER FOR OPUNAKE

SLIGHT INCREASE IN REVENUE.

MONTH’S OPERATIONS REVIEWED.

The monthly meeting of Opunake Power Board was held yesterday, there being present Messrs. Goodwin (chairman), W. C. Green, J. S. Tosland, A. J. Brennan, R. B. Fleming, E. A. Collms and C. O. Edmonds. The secretary (Mr. J. N. Stephenson) reported that the revenue for November was as follows, figures for the corresponding period last year being shown in parentheses:—Light, £414 11s. 4d. (£397 Is. 2d.); stoves, £B6 9s. 6d. (£B3 Ils. 5d.); industrial power, £163 9s. sd. (£l6l 12s. 3d.); milking power, £528 17s. 7d. (£494 9s. lid.); water heaters, £79 5s 7d. (£73 13s. 5d.); street lights, £l2 13s. 4d. (£l2 13s. 4d.); penalties, £l6 14s. 3d. (£l5 18s.); total, £1302 Is. (£1238 19s. 6d.); less discounts, £127 135.; nett total, £1174 Bs. Revenue for the months April-November inclusive was £8337, as against £8271 for the corresponding period last year, an increase of £66. In response to representations by the Retailers’ Association street illuminations were erected on the sanie terms as last year, the cost of erection being borne by the association and current supplied free of charge by the board. With the approach of the winter the secretary suggested that encouragement be offered to the users of electric heaters. Last winter a cheap rate was offered to one or two business firms with the object of enabling them to use radiators freely, the scheme being most successful, and he believed that that type of load could be increased if a special cheap rate was offered in cases of bona fide users of radiators. Discretion would have to be used in the application of the rate as it was liable to abuse, but in view of the success attained last winter he considered that authority might ba given the engineer and himself to boost that load. The report was adopted, and -on the suggestion of Mr. Brennan it was resolved that in future the amount, allowed in discount each month should be included for comparative purposes. Mr. Brennan expressed disappointment at the very small increase shown. Mr. Collins agreed that the increase was small when the number of additional users was taken into consideration. That showed that users were economising. . The chairman said that in the estimates the board had budgeted on only a small increase. Reporting for December, the engineer (Mr. D. Fraser) stated that the ~units generated were 129,200, an increase of 3900 units on the output-for. December, 1931. The maximum load registered was 430 k.w. Owing to the continuous dry weather the flow of the Waiau had been greatly reduced, making it .necessary to. draw bulk power on 27 days. The Die.sel engine ran. 240 hours with a consumption of 1556 gallons of fuel oil. Power was shut off the whole of the area from midnight to 3 a.m. on the morning of December 21, that being necessary to ’replace the- instrument transformers on the Pungarehu circuit. It also gave an opportunity of cleaning and inspecting the H.T. gear, at the back of the switchboard. An automatic switch had been installed at ; the Oka to sub-station so that the bulk power could be switched on and off at any .desired time. That,

switch, controlled from the power station. had, been in operation for _ two weeks, and had proved very satisfactory. -<=■' ■' ’v-- ■ . New connections were made as follow: Lighting points 12, heating 4, field pumps 2, alterations and additions 4. For the nine months ending December 31, 1932, the following connections have been made, the figures for the corresponding period last year being' shown in parentheses: Lighting points 232 (17D, heating 62 (70), stoves 2. (3), waterheaters 3 (7), milking motors 15 (9), field pumps 16 (8), industrial motors 6 (9), additions and alterations 55 (56), this making the total connected load 2247 k.w. . Mr. Brennan suggested that in future for comparative purposes the running time of the Diesel and the amount of bulk power purchased during the cor? responding month of the previous year should be given by the engineer, and the suggestion was adopted. — - ?