East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-05-25
RATES ON LIGHTS
TO Be REDUCED
PACIFIC POWER COMPANY
ANNOUNCES CHANGE JULY 1
Means Saving Of Sixteen Per Cent for
Users Whose Bills Are Less Than
$500 Per Month or Twenty Per
Cent More Power.

A material reduction in electric
lighting rates at Pendleton has been
announced by the Pacific Power &
Light company. Effective July 1, |
the primary light rate in this city will
be but 10 cents a kilOwatt hour in
stead OF f2 cents, which has been the
prevailing rate for the last year.
This reduction in rates is the sec
ond made by the Pacific Power &
Light company since it took the local
plants. Expressed in nOn-technical
language it means that all consumers
whose bills are less than $3.50 a
month will be effected a saving OF
16 per cent, or in other words they
will be enabled to burn 20 per cent
more current under the new rate for
the same amount of money that they
now spend. Consumers with bills
greater than $3.50 a month will Sc
cure a slightly smaller saving.
The existing residential rate in
Pendleton is I2 cents a kilowatt hour
for the first 80 kilowatt hours and
all in excess of 80 kilowatt hours, s
cents a kilOwatt hour. Residences
having a lighting load OF more than
1 kilOwatt pay IL cents a kilowatt for
the first so kilowatt hours per month
and S cents for all in excess of the
first 90 kilowatt hours. II should be
mentioned here, however, that there
are comparatively few residences in
Pendleton that have over 1 kilowatt
of lights connected. The new rates
"A
cent rate, and as stated above, the av-
erage customer will be enabled to
burn 20 per cent more light for the
same amount of money, which will
enable him TO install many new con-
veniences, such as porch and cellar
lights, etc.
The present commercial rate in
Pendleton is 12 cents kilowatt hour
for the first go kilOwatt hours use
per kilowatt of the connected load
per month. All in excess of the first
so kilowatts is charged at 6 cents. The
new rate will be 10 cents and 6 cents,
which will also result in a substan-
tial saving in business houses.
Mr.. H. S. Wells OF Portland, new
business manager of Pacific Power &
Light company, and DR.. F. W. Vim
cent, local manager of the company,
will experimenting the changing-over
of the accounting system to take
care OF this reduction. The first
month will throw a great deal of ex-
ira work on this branch because OF
the installation of the new rates.
Messrs. Wells and Vincent made the
following statement TO a representa-
tive of this paper yesterday:
in line with the progressive policy
of this company and in order to pop
ularize the use of electric current, we
are materially reducing our rates in
PendletOn. We are frank to confess
that We do not believe the reduction
is warranted from the point of view of
what We are earning on our invest
ment, but We believe that the result
in increase in current will justify the
reduction, and it will do so if the
public gives US support in our eff
forts to increase business.
I'VE are doing our utmost to de-
velop the territory which We serve
by promoting the use of electric pow
er, especially for irrigation business.
and we believe that we are entitled to
the same support that the government
receives in its efforts to build up its
reclamation service. The reduction
in lighting rates is not small, on the
contrary, it is very substantial re-
duetion. and it will result in saving
to every commercial and residential
l. n
cases, of course. small residential
consumers do not use any more than
the minimum amount of current for
which they pay $1.OO a month, but
these consumers will not be enabled
to use 10 kilowatt hours for $1.00,
where, in the past they have been us
ing but S. We might mention in pass
ing, that residential customers in the
city of New York, where electricity
is manufactured in enormous quanti-
ties. with cheap fuel, are paying more
for their current than will our con-
sumers in Pendleton. the rate in New
York being 10 cents per kilowatt hour
for all current used, whereas in Pen
dleton we have a secondary rate of
cents. This is especially interesting
in view of the fact that New York
has a very dense population and same
amount of distributing system in
that city can serve many times the
number of customers that it does in
Pendleton.
Lower lighting rates result in
many conveniences for the home. This
company is now furnishing current
for heating approximately 5000 flat
irons. every one of which is aiding to