Regional Power Savings Continue Upward Trend

WINTER POWER TASKFORCE

Draft release
28 May 2003

Regional Savings Continue Upward Trend

Across the board improvement continues with three regions passing 9% during last week’s national electricity savings campaign.

Warm weather continued to aid the southern charge towards the Target 10% goal with Christchurch and the upper South Island registering 9.9% savings for the week while Dunedin and the lower South island reached 9.6%. Wellington also passed the 9% figure.

“While they are impressive numbers and significant gains against the previous week they need to be considered in the context of the current warmer weather in the South,” says Winter Power Taskforce Co-ordinator Patrick Strange.

“This time last year there were heavy snowfalls in the South Island and very cold temperatures, so we can expect some impact on current savings levels in those regions, and elsewhere, when the colder weather arrives.”

“There was total reversal of the May weather pattern last week with the South Island and Wellington warmer than Auckland in the early part of the week.”

The weather patterns also helped inflows into the hydro system but Patrick Strange continues to warn that the savings effort cannot be relaxed.

“Savings and last week’s inflows improved hydro storage but a snap of cold weather and little rain will quickly begin eating away at those storage gains. We still need to be vigilant and maintaining and improving on current savings levels.”

Regional savings figures for the week ending Sunday May 25 were:

Region Week to 4 May Week to 11 May Week to May 18 Week to May 25 Gains
Dunedin & South 3.5% 4.9% 6.3% 9.6% 3.3%
Christchurch & North 2% 4.8% 7.0% 9.9% 2.9%
Wellington 2.0% 5.0% 7.2% 9.4% 2.2%
Central NI 3.5% 4.7% 5.2% 6.7% 1.5%
Auckland & North 1.9% 4.0% 5.0% 6.8% 1.8%
National Average 3.2% 4.4% 5.8% 7.9% 2.1%

ENDS

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