CITY POWER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17528, 4 May 1925, Page 7

CITY POWER.

NEW CONTRACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT. A SLIDING SCALE. In view of the interest taken in the new contract between the Government and the City Council for the supply of power from Lake Coleridge, the Mayor (Mr J. A. Flcsher) has obtained the consent ol the Minister of Public Works to publish the rates and quantities agreed to. The Mayor, in giving the information for publication, said that it should be remembered that the contract provided for supplies for twelve years from April 1 last. The rates at which power will be supplied are set out beiow, with supplementary information necessary Lo make the full terms clear. The Waimakariri rates commence with the year ending March, 1927. The old contract terminated at March, 1925. Supply for the year ending March, 1926, is therefore not covered by anv special rale, and in the negotiations, supply for this year was recognised as being subject to standard rates. The Government did not claim that the extensions at Lake Coleridge, necessary to give the supply, could be completed before July 31, 1926, and standard rates have been made to apply up to that date. The balance of the year ending March, 1927, will be charged at the Waimakariri rate for that year The new contract covers the period from April 1, 1925, to March 3i, 1937. The amounts of power, and the annual payments with the resultant rate per kilowatt are as set out in the following table:— 3 > criod from April 1, 1925, to July 31. 1926.—Standard rates as hereafter defined—

Standard rates referred to above are, for the purpose of this clause: — For the first 200 kilowatts. £2 10s per kilowatt of maximum demand per quarter. For the next 4SOO kilowatts. £2 per kilowatt of maximum demand per quarter. For all over 5000 kilowatts. £1 15s per kilowatt of maximum demand per quarter. The standard rates will work out at £7.4 per kilowatt per annum for a load of 6500 kilowatts, to £7.8 per kilowatt per annum for a load of 7500- kilowatts. If, as the result of failure to complete the extensions, the Minister is unable i to give, after April, 1927, the supplyprovided for, the council will have the right to substitute the load figures of a particular year for those of the next year following until March. 1930, when the contract figures will apply. A further sub-clause provides for payment for excess of the above schedule as follows: — “ Should the load in any one year during the period of this contract amount to that estimated for any succeeding year, the amount of payment to be made shall be that fixed in the schedule of sub-clause (d) of this clause for each succeeding year. Should the load in any one year exceed that estimated in such stib-clause, but not reach that estimated for the succeeding year, the rate paid for the excess in such year shall be the rate per kilowatt per annum for the year concerned as shown in such sub-clause.” The contract provides that the council shall maintain the power-factor of its load as nearly as possible to 90 per cent, and shall make the necessary bylaws to ensure that its consumers also comply with this requirement.

Annual Kate Amount Max. per of demand K.W. per Payment. K.W. annum. Period from Aug. 1, 1926, to March. 31, 1927 . . . 44,000 9,750 6.7S Year ending March 31, 1928 . 06,000 10,535 6.45 March 31, 1929 . 70,000 11.400 6.14 March 31, 1930 . 72,000 12.220 5.89 March 31. 1931 . 79,000 13,110 6.03 March 31, 1932 . til,000 14.063 5.. o March 31, 1933 . 33.000 15.070 5.51 March 31. 1934 . 85,000 16,500 5.15 March 31, 1935 . 87.000 18,150 4.79 March 31, 1936 . 89,000 20 020 4.44 March 31. 1937 91.000 22,000 4.13