69

D.—l

which may be taken in forecasting the return from ordinary general retail busirress, excluding such large consumers as freezing-works, &o. The revenue per kilowatt from the twenty-two gas-engine stations is £41 per kilowatt of output, and from the output of the two oil-driven stations is over £52 per kilowatt; but these are obtained at high retail rates, ranging frorrr Bd. to Is. for light and 3d. to sd. for power, as compared with usual retail prices of 6d. and 7d. for light and l|d. to 3d. for power. Out of the total number of sixty-one stations and twerrty-ono bulk distributing authorities, twenty-seven made a loss last year, as compared with thirty which incurred a loss in the previous year. Costs are now falling again, and it is anticipated that hereafter only those that are in the first two or three years of operation will show losses. Over the whole Dominion the electric-supply business involves a capital outlay of £5,224,629 for an installed capacity of 51,749 kw. — i.e., £101 per kilowatt; and the revenue, after paying all working-expenses (£534,642) and capital charges, including depreciation (£305,838), which work out at an average of 5-85 per cent, on the capital outlay, yields a net profit of £82,688, or f-6 per cent, on the cajrital outlay. The business on the whole is thus remunerative, as well as supplying a public necessity to 88,838 consumers. The table herewith gives a full analysis of the results of operation of the sixty-one stations, separating the returns from water-power, steam, gas, and oil stations. The most significant figures are, of course, the low costs per unit and per kilowatt output of the water-power stations. It must be noted that these figures include the returns from a number of quite small water-power plants, only five out of the twenty-seven installations beirrg over 1,000 h.p. capacity. The comparison of the capital cost per kilowatt is also instructive. In comparing the costs of the steam and gas stations it must bo noted that the average size of the ten steam stations is sixteen times as large as the average size of the twenty-two gas stations, and this has more to do with the higher working-costs of the gas stations than the nature of the fuel. On the same average size of plant the gas stations would probably show a better result than the steam stations, It is noticeable that the publication of these details of each of the power-stations of the Dominion is already resulting in a very healthy competition between individual statiorrs to show good results, to the substantial benefit of the public.

Electric-power Supply of New Zealand for the Year ended 31st March, 1922.

Inspection of Electric Lines. During the year the following electric - supply systems were irrspected : Havelock, Banks Peninsula Power Board (part), Springs-Ellesmere Power Board (part), Rangiora County (extensions), Murchison, Motueka, Tamaki, Kaikoura, Blenheim (Hospital), Blenheim (F. O. Linstrom), Picton, Oamaru, Kaitangata, Invercargill (extensions), Gore, Mataura, Bluff, Winton, Hikurangi (collieries), Whangarei, Dcvonport, Raetilri, Waiuku, Ohakune, Portland Cement Company, Wairua Falls, Pukekohe, Napier, Havelock North, Hastings, Waverley, Stratford, Patea, Ingle wood, Waitara, Bull's, Eketahuna, Pahiatua, Fairlie, Wellington (extensions), Sumner, Heathcote, Ngaruawahia, Huntly, Te Aroha, Thames, Te Kuiti, Te Puke, Hamilton, Hokitika, Waiuta, Central Power Board (extensions), Te Awamutu Power Board (extensions), Thames Valley Power Board (extensions),

Water. Steam. Gas. Oil. Total. Number of stations Average capacity (kilowatts) Number of consumers Installed capacity (kilowatts), (main plant only) Maximum load (kilowatts) — General supply stations Special tramway stations Units generated Annual load-factor (per cent.) Units sold to tramways Units sold —General supply Total capital outlay* Total capital per kilowatt installed* Total annual working-costs . * Total annual working-cost por unit sold . . Total annual working-cost per kilowatt, maximum load Total annual capital charges Total annual capital charge per unit sold.. Total annual capital charge per kilowatt, maximum load Total annual percentage of capital outlay .. Total annual costs Total annual cost per unit sold Total annual cost per kilowatt, maximum load Total annual revenue Total annual revenue per unit sold Total annual revenue per kilowatt, maximum load Net profit 27 925 47,357 25,125 10 22 1,992 128 28,570 ' 9,370 22,470 ! 3,343 2 406 3,535 811 61 800 88,838 51,749 25,543 9,916 | 2,506 10,000 I 300 56,244,921 6,303,129 32-0 25-5 25,099,034 1,132,602 24,210,925 3,084,324 £1,148,824 £478,271 £92 £143 £226,193 £78,733 2-25d. 4-5 £22-8 £31-2 601 38,566 10,300 171,943,546 40-0 36,126,198 107,740,081 £5,224,629 £101 £534,642 lT8d. £13-8 107,674,949 48-0 9,894,562 79,134,631 £3,506,427 £139 £206,221 0-56(1. £8-1 1,720,547 32-5 1,216,201 £91,107 £112 £23,495 4-28d. £39-3 £189,072 0-5Id. £7-4 £91,353 ' £20,200 0-91d. I-15d. £9-2 £8-1 £5,213 0-96d. £8-7 £305,838 0-68d. £7-95 5-4 £395,293 l-07d. £15-5 7-9 5-15 £317,546 £98,933 3-16d. 5-65d. £32-0 £39-3 5-7 £28,708 5-24d. £48 5-9 £840,480 I-87d. £21-8 £450,055 l-22d. £17-6 £338,923 £102,755 3-4(1. 5-88 £34-0 £41-0 £31,435 5-74d. £52-5 £923,168 2-05d. £24 £54,762 £21,377 £3,822 £2,727 £82,688 * Includes listribution.