Evening star., 1933-02-19
SMALL CONSUMERS
BENEFITED BY NEW
POWER SCHEDULES
Commission Sets Forth
S99, 600 Annual Saving'in
Rates Beginning Tomorrow.
"BLOCK" CHARGING
SYSTEM CHAMPI0NED
Less Than Average in Is Cities
Paid Here-3.9 Per Kilowatt Hour
Up to 50-0ther Rates.

Following issuance yesterday Of new
electric rate schedules. the Public
Utilities Commission set forth in a
formal statement its position as cham
pion of the small consumer and Of the
block" system of fixing charges.
The new rates will go into fleet to-
morrow and are expected to save do
mestic customers $4,000 annually.
Savings also will be effected in other
classes. Reduction in the charge for
street lighting also was ordered. This
will reduce the District Government by
approximately $4,000 year.
The commission has sought consist
emily to make the rate fair for the
small consumer, it asserted. This Is
evidenced" the commission continued.
by the fact that in washington the
consumer who uses so kilowatt hours
or less pays less than the average
charge for similar use in IS large cities.
including Jacksonville, Fla; Columbus,
Ohio Lincoln, Nebr., and Los Angeles,
Calf, where the power is supplied from
municipal plants, and by the further
fact that the consumer in Washington
who pays the minimum bill, 70 cents,
can use 19 kilowatt hours. while in these
same 13 cities with municipal plants
the average charge for 19 kilowatt hours
is about 95 cents"
New Domestic Schedule.
The new domestic schedule, which
contains rates applicable to the aver
age householder, charges 3.9 cents per
kilowatt hour for the first so kiloWats
hours. SO cents for the next SO. 2.s
cents for the next so, and cents Tor
all in excess of $50 kilowatt hours per
month. The old domestic schedule had
only three blocks" instead OF the 1our
blocks" of the new schedule. 1t pro-
vided for charges Of 3.9 cents per Nlo.
watt hour for the first so hours, SO
cents for the next so, and cents 1of
all over 100 hours per month.
Explaining. this "block" system OF nx-
ing rates, the commission said:
"The block rate for domestic con-
sumption is now practically universally
used. For example, in a nearby COM
munity with a municipal plant, In the
domestic schedule there are six docks
In Columbus, Ohio, another municipality
owned plant, four blocks are used.
Here for the next year there will be fqur
blocks. Such schedule Is essentially
fair to users and enables those who de-
sire to use current for other than ngnt-
ing purposes more readily to do SO WITH
out incllrring expense for the 1nstala-
ton of an additional meter ana the
necessary wiring charges.
when electric power was used IN
residences mainly for lighting, 1t was
possible to have a fiat ratel masmuch
as all domestic consumers we're then
comparatively small users. Now that
power is used for many other purposes,
including radios toaSterS and refr1ger-
ators, it is plainly only fair that the
rates for these greater amounts OF power
should be less. The use OF only two
blocks would merely accentuate the dn-
ference in the rates at the breaking
point"
Other New Schedules.
Besides the new domestic rates. other
new schedules which will go into ef-
feet tomorrow are:
Schedule C-For apartment houses,
3.8 cents per kilowatt hour for the first
100 kilowatt hour, 3.6 for the next $50.
2.e for the next l $780, and 2 cents for
all in excess of 2,100 kilowatt hours per
month. This is designed to save 1902
customers S24023.
Schedule D-308 cents per kilowatt
hour for the first 100 hours, 3.6 cents
for the next $50; 81 cents Tor the next
5000 hours and cents for all in ex-
cess of $3.50 kilowatt hours per month.
This will save 1922 customers S206, ,562
and represents the largest cut in any Of
the schedules.
Schedule M-For Maryland domestic
consumers, TO cents per kilowatt hour
for the first so; 3.6 for the next so: 20
for the next so and cents for all over
$50. This is designed to save 922 GUS
toners Sl,652 per annum.
Schedule O-Maryland commercial
customers, 7.8 cents per kilowatt hour
for the first 100 hours; 3.6 for the next
$50; 81 for the next $500 and 2 cents
for all in excess of $3.50 kilowatt hours
per month.
| Schedule E-This schedule remains
the same except that the primary rate
for the first 1880 kilowatf hours is
cut from 10 to 1.8 cents per kilowatt
hour. This schedule is for wholesale
commercial low-tension service and is
designed to save lit customers $45, ,034.
Schedule Wholesale commercial
high-tension customers. This schedule
is unchanged except that the primary
rate for the first 1880 kilowatt hours
is reduced from / 5 to IA cents per kill
owatt hour. which is designed to save
! the customers in this schedule $50, ,285.