Abstract
IN a paper read to the Institution of Electrical Engineers on March 11, Mr. J. A. Sumner pointed out some of the modern factors which affect electricity costs and charges. He makes a brief comparison between rural and urban distribution and concludes that rural areas quickly become remunerative. He suggests that the expansion of demand must be preceded by a reduction of charges for domestic supply, and a halt should be called in the downward trend of charges for power. The alteration in charges must be accompanied by a greater unification of charges and tariffs, and this can only be achieved quickly by means of a single executive authority which would have the exclusive right to direct and initiate the unification of tariffs and charges. Prices for domestic supply are generally too high to permit an extensive use of electricity, and statistics show that reductions in price tend to follow an increased demand instead of preceding it. So far as the domestic consumer is concerned, for large modern undertakings the original Hopkinson definition, namely, that the fixed charge per quarter should be proportional to the greatest rate at which a consumer may ever use electricity, is no longer applicable. If we are to retain the two part system of charging for electricity, we must reconsider the basis to be adopted for charging. The correct kilowatt charge for each consumer depends upon the time of demand, the ‘diversity’ of the consumers' load and of the group of consumers with whom he is associated, the voltage of supply and many other factors. It looks as if it were a problem which would not admit in practice of even an approximate solution applicable to all cases.
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Electricity Costs and Factors. Nature 139, 501 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139501b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139501b0