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 Power savings slammed Elderly ‘already frugal’


New Zealand - Wairarapa Grey Power has slammed the Government’s latest request for people to trim their power consumption by 10 percent.

Grey Power chairman George Groombridge said elderly people were already frugal power users, and asking for further savings could lead to health problems. “Why is the Government imposing this on the elderly? We’re quite concerned because it’s a blanket cover and that’s disturbing. “You can have people who are trying to stay warm by not using electricity and that of course causes all sorts of problems. We could end up with some hypothermic cases who would have to go to hospital.” Wairarapa Grey Power has around 370 members.

Mr Groombridge said that despite Government statements that elderly people should not go without heating or hot food, the call for a blanket drop in usage would mean Wairarapa’s older people would feel they should do their bit. “ You have to realise that the elderly people have lived through the Second World War and the Depression when savings were the norm and they are used to making savings and think they had better be responsible.”

Mr Groombridge said it was also hard for people to see their 10 percent savings when high line charges meant a 10 percent power saving would not be reflected on power bills. He said the savings now being called for should never have been required. “ It’s a bit bizarre. The Government ought to be looking to their laurels and thinking they ought to do something. This country has one of the richest resources in the world, which is water.” He said with the amount of water and wind in New Zealand, there was no excuse for a power crisis.

Meanwhile, the co-ordinator of the grid security committee winter 2003 taskforce, Patrick Strange, will be in Masterton on Thursday addressing a business breakfast organised by Go Wairarapa. It is Dr Strange’s role to encourage the country to save power.

Wairarapa industry is also feeling the effect of the crisis. Renalls Ltd director Herb Renall said while the soaring spot prices did not directly affect their wood chip plant as they had set power rates, they would feel the impact if one of their big purchasers, Pan Pacific Pulp Mill in Napier, continued to be hit. Mr Renall said Pan Pacific Pulp Mill takes a “significant volume” of woodchips from Renalls for their operation, but they were considering what they would do if spot power prices continued to be high. “ When it (the cost of power prices) gets to a certain level they have to drop production and they reduce the amount of wood chips they need. “ They have indicated that if things don’t improve in their negotiations with their suppliers and also with the Ministry of Energy that they could ask for a reduction in the amount of wood ships they want to purchase.”

Mr Renall said his business would feel that reduction as their alternative markets for wood chips would also be affected by the power prices, and there was only a limited opportunity to export the wood chips. “ Potentially it has huge ramifications for businesses such as ours. We’re very concerned at the potential impact that this energy crisis could have on our processing facility.” Although shutting the wood chip plant was not a consideration, a reduction in wood chips to Pan Pacific Pulp Mill would mean Renalls would have to reduce the amount of wood chips they produce. Mr Renall has contacted Wairarapa MP Georgina Beyer to voice his concerns over the role the Government is playing.

Carterton New World owner Tony Clark also said they bought their power at contract rates rather than on the spot market. Nevertheless, he said they were still facing a big increase on their power bill. “Whether we’re open or shut all the refrigeration is still on.”

Masterton District Council manager of assets and operations Kevin Montgomerie said Masterton’s heated swimming pools would not face a big power bill spike. They worked on a heat-exchange system which involved extracting heat from the stream running outside the complex. Also, they paid for their power on a contracted rates basis, and not the spot prices that are currently soaring, costing manufacturers around New Zealand thousands of dollars. “ Nevertheless, in terms of the energy issue, we’ll look to reduce any usage we can.”

The Government has called for the public sector to make a 15 percent saving.


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