BOARD OFFICERS DO NOT FAVOUR COMPULSORY POWER RATIONING

Wanganui Chronicle, 21 December 1948, Page 7

BOARD OFFICERS DO NOT FAVOUR COMPULSORY POWER RATIONING

Comprehensive Report Suggests Voluntary System

A comprehensive report from the secretary (Mr. G. A. Ammundsen) and the engineer (Mr. H. Webb), which considered many aspects of electricity rationing, was presented to the monthly meeting of the AVanganui-Rangitikei Electric Power Board, held yesterday.

The report discussed voluntary rationing by consumers, but thb matter was held over.

“The continuing lag in the generating capacity of our power stations makes restrictions in the use of power a regrettable certainty for a few years yet,” the report stated. “Present indications are that the increase that the board will be permitted under restricted conditions will be completely absorbed by new buildings. At present there is a reasonable expectation of annual increases of 3 per cent, until Maraetai is in action; over the past ten years, that is from unrestricted conditions to the present ones, the annual increase in consumption has averaged just over 4 per cent.; the rate of increase is actually greater than 4 per cent, because the reduction in shop and display lighting, control of business heating, and more control of water heating, compulsory blackouts and other means to keep within authorised limits have offset the increase in other ways to still give a net growth of just over 4 per cent, compounded. “The apparent success of a system of rationing to consumers in one other board area very reasonably raises the query- ‘Can we not introduce a system of rationing here that will make the necessary savings in this board’s power needs?’ The direction of the board then to present a report on the subject is therefore a timely one. and the following points are made as a result of that direction. “In theory, where there is a short supply of any commodity rationing that commodity appears to offer the most equitable wav of sharing both the available supplies and the inconvenience which the shortage creates. The alternative seems to be periods of complete withdrawal of supply—in the cas e of electricity, blackouts—of the two choices rationing has thes'i outstanding advantages:— “To the user, it offers a continuing availabitiy of power; as long as the consumer makes the saving that is asked of him. he could have power available at any hour of the day that best suits his particular requirements. This is the ideal to which we can all subscribe. “To the Power Board there is less interference with th e habits of the people reflected in load conditions on the supply system, and rationing should result in a more favourable account for bulk power.

AGAINST RATIONING ‘The arguments against rationing, apart from the fundamental one that it is objectionable anyhow, all arise out of the practical difficulties in enforcing it. Electricity cannot be rationed as are other commodities, by a distribution of coupons to users; consumer would be set his ration, and it would then be for him to make the saving necessary to live within that, ration. In the case of the board that, has applied a successful rationing system very different circumstances exist from those with which we would have to deal. Let us look at that board's circumstances as set out in the report of irs secretary, who says, “ . . . . it is necessary that a few facts be noted: This board has no means of water heater control. AU water heaters are allowed unrestricted service for 24 hours a day.’ “Contrast this with our own board, where there has always been some control of water heaters, and in the Wanganui city and other closely settled areas, a very effective control by relay, which has for years provided the means of keeping consumption down. Where onp board commenced a control by rationing with a system that permitted the utmost extravagance in the use of power, our board would hav e to introduce rationing where this extravagance does not exist, and has never existed- This circumstance alon e presents our first difficulty, in that an arbitrary ration based on water heater capacity, where it was known the saving would be made in the one case. Is just not applicable in cur own case, and the only basis on which to fix the ration is past consumption. The extraction of the necessary information then would require additional staff, c at least two, possibly three in the u Ice. “Having fixed the ration, it is then far the consumer to limit his consumption in accordance with it. Two very practical difficulties at once suggest themselves here: firstly, the consumer must be able and willing to read his meter regularly to check his consumption against his ration, and

| his domestic habits and circumstances must remain fairly consistent, unless extra work on the staff and to the consumer annoyance are to result; for instance, illness and additions to the househo.d must both be provided for—how? Presumably on appeal to the officers of the board. “To make rationing effective it must be enforced. At present the board reads the meters of its country consumers at intervals of four months and in town monthly. Even monthly readings do not provide a very efficient information service for policing a rationing system, while four-monthly ones would b P quite unrelated to rationing. Policing the system tben would need more meter readers and more vehicles for them; both are in short supply. “Assuming that-all these difficulties can be met, how would a rationing system meet what is really the biggest problem which power .shortages bring, the need for severe cuts in periods of emergency, usually lack of water in the dams? The board is able to comply reasonably with normal requirements of the Controller, but over thfi past two years has experienced urgent calls for reductions in consumption from 20 down to 5 per cent, below allocation. These calls cause most of the hardship to everybody, and it does not appear practicable to work out & basis for rationing that could be applied to each individual—or by him — to meet these emergency calls. “A system of rationing similar tw the one quoted at the meeting does for these reasons seem quite impracticable, if not impossible. Are we then to have no other approach to the problem of inadequate power supplies than periods of disconection, with ail the inconvenience and unpleasantness that lhe.se bring? The omy alternative is rationing, and the only practicable form of rationing is

VOLUNTARY RATIONING “By this is meant a system of rationing by the consumers themseives whereby they take all possible steps to eliminate .-wasteful use of their services, and so save what is rtecessary to keep the district consumption with in allocated limits. Although the board has applied most measures for reduction of demand it is apparent that there is still a lot of waste that could be saved without hardship to any and with advantage to all. The experience of the last two years when compulsory general cuts have been applied has brought home to even the most selfish or thoughtless people the fact that electricity must be saved, and there is reason to be optimistic about the result of an appeal for the co-operation of consumers in keepingconsumption down to avoid blackouts- This course was approved at the October meeting, and a draft circular to consumers is being prepared now. “Members will have noted from a recent. Press announcement that the Auckland Electric Power Board has agreed on a proposal to ration its consumers, and will rightly ask why if Auckland can do it, there should be so much difficulty in Wanganui. Until more information js available on the experience pf Auckland we I will riot know how effective their scheme might be. Comparing notes ! with some other boards with similar ! conditions to our own, it is found that they all face just the same difficulties ias we do; one board with less than 'one-quarter of our consumers and a ; smaller area to cover tried rationing ;two years ago, and abandoned it last year because of the difficulties ot policing and enforcing its scheme. It is not claimed that a rationing system Is impossible, but it is bristling with difficulties, and if they can be overcome it would still be very expensive to operate. It may be that even yet difficulties and expense will have to become secondary .to expediency and a system of rationing considered. However, at present it is regarded as something to be avoided except as a last resort.” Commenting on the suggestions of the system of power rationing in which savings would be left to the individual consumer, Mr. K. W. Dalrymple said that people will not get down to the practical methods of saving electricity until it is cut off. Mr. J. W. Broad, however, disagreed with the statement made by the previous speaker, and stated that ns far as he knew the people in Wanganui city area realised that there was a power shortage and they did everything possible to ensure that there was no waste of powerAfter further discussion on the report the board received it.