LOWER COST OF CURRENT

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1933, Page 7

LOWER COST OF CURRENT

WAITARA BOROUGH DECISION. METER CHARGE AND Id A UNIT. The suggestion that the charges fcnr electricity should be reduced was made when the Waitara Borough Council fixed its rate for the current year, and a report submitted by the electrical engineer (Mr. G. O. Smith) was left to the electric light committee to consider. The council received the committee’s report last night, when recommendations that certei" reductions should be made were adopted. . “Two difficulties present themselves at the outset—the fact that the general fund of the borough is dependent to a considerable extent on the profits of the electrical undertaking, and secondly, tha difficulty of making a reduction m charges that will benefit all consumers of electric current equally,” stated the report-“ The first difficulty is, of course, a matter for the council as a whole—-it is for the council to say what reduction in the aggregate its funds will stand. The proposals recommended would result in a loss of revenue to the electric light department of about £5OO, or a quarter of its profits in a normal year. It was likely, however, that the profits for the next 12 months would show a decline, so that the committee was of the opinion that it was not safe at present to make a greater reduction in charges fen the reductions proposed. At the same time the committee thought that when the figures for the first six months were available the position could be reviewed. METER CHARGE eliminated. (1) That the present meter charge of 6a a year be eliminated altogether. That would benefit every user of current m the borough to the exent of at least 6s. Many consumers had more than one meter and their saving would of course be greater. The elimination of the meter charge would mean a loss of revenue of less than £2OO. , ' (2) That the present minimum light rate of 8d . a unit be reduced to 7d uptt. That also would benefit, every consumer of light current in the borough, including those who did not reach the minimum unit consumption a month, and would affect ths revenue to the extent of £3OO. m “The extent to which the revenue witt be affected can be reckoned only approximately, as many factors require to be taken into account and most of them cannot be determined accurately in advance, but it is reasonably certain tot the total loss of revenue will not exceed £500,” continued the report. “It “a/ appear that the individual saving that will be effected by the reductions is not great, but the aggregate saving is equivalent to a reduction of Id in the •£ 051 the rates.” , . The view that meter readings and the delivery of accounts should be made once a month instead of, once every other month was also expressed in

r< lt°was also stated that the committee was far from satisfied with the and running arrangements that was a charge on the ment While that department was the right one to care for the vehicle it did no? seem right that the should devolve on the electncai staff! to long as other officers of. the council could use the lorry when they wanted it Cr Wakely expressed the opinion that the electric light committee was doing excellent work, and his remarks were MIPPQXtCSI I® s'