Evening star., 1915-11-10
CHEAPER ELECTRIC
RATES ARE LIKELY
l,sf-=-sT-
Potomac Power Company Sale
of Current for Cooking at
Low Prices.

Cheaper electric lighting rates
in the District may follow the
Potomac Electric Power Com
pany's proposal to sell current tor
heating and cooking purposes at
lower prices.
The new schedule submitted py
| the company to the public utilities
commission yesterday, while applying
only to current sold for these purposes
under a separate meter system. may SO
swell the company's earnings, IL Is
pointed out, as to justify the commls-
sion later in ordering it to reduce its
lighting rates as we'll
In financial quarters the companys
proposed schedule is regarded merely
as bid for Observation-Disclosures of char
acter described as velvet for the
reason that it proposes to sell during
the dull period of the day current for
which there is at present compare
lively little demand.
Profits Will Increase.
If the cheaper rates enable it to COM
pete effectively with the gas company
in the supplying of heat. its profits will
| be increased. and the commission, it is
suggested, will be in better position
| to order an equalizing of rates on cur
rent sold for all purposes.
| At present the power concerns prin-
cipal business consists in the supply
| ing of power to the railways and the
selling of current for light. The light
| ing rate is 10 cents per kilowatt hour
| for the first 120 hours of use in each
month, after which the price drops to
| s cents.
In order to develop business during
| the non lighting period of the day the
| company proposes to sell current for
| heating and cooking purposes at 10
cents an hour for ten kilowatt hours.
after which the charge will be at the
rate of 3 cents per kilowatt hour.
| The company takes the position that
as there is little demand for current
/ for power purposes in Washington it
is justified in making a special rate
| for heating and cooking purposes in
F., order to increase the day lode and at
| the same time the earning capacity of
| the plant
i One Point Opposed.
One feature of the proposal. however,
! which the commission may balk at is
! the proviso that a separate meter shall
be installed for the heating and serv-
| ice and that the minimum charge for
| each meter shall be 81 month. The
effect of this will be to establish a min.
| imum charge of 81 for each consumer
who uses electricity for both cooking
and lighting. as a separate meter and
81 minimum charge are now required
in the lighting service. thus compelling
each consumer who uses electricity for
both purposes to pay S24 a year even if
he does not use S24 worth of current.
| The commission. it is believed, will
look carefully into this feature before
| approving the schedule AS to the other
| features, it Is not considered likely that
any of them will develop sufficient OBJ
| jections to cause the commission to re-
| ject the schedule.
| Public utilities commissions in a num-
| ber of cities have approved separate
| schedules for current used for lighting
and for heating and cooking and no in
| dication has been given that diff
| ferent rule will be followed here. In
fact. the suggestion that the develop
ment Of more business from the cheaper
heating rates may make possible a low
| er lighting rate is a factor which the
| commission. it is believed, may regard
as good reason for approving the
schedule. -.