Upper Sth Island Continues to Lead the Powersavers

Media release 24 June 2008

Upper South Island Continues to Lead the Powersavers

The Upper South Island is the leading powersavers region for the week to Tuesday 24 June, achieving savings of 3.4% compared to 2007, according to figures released today by Patrick Strange, convenor of the Winter Power Group and Chief Executive of Transpower, who is leading the winter power savings campaign on behalf of the electricity industry.

Patrick Strange described the overall national savings of 3.1% for the week through Tuesday 24 June as “A solid increase on the figures reported on Friday”. In other results, the upper North Island region saved 3.1%, the central North Island region saved 3.1%, the lower North Island region saved 3%, and the lower South Island region saved 3.2%. He noted that “when combined with major industrial savings, the total savings were over 5%. “We have had some rain over the last weekend: while the major rainfall missed the large catchments in the South Island, Lake Taupo and some of the smaller regional lakes, like Cobb at the top of the South Island and Matahina in the Bay of Plenty, received good inflows”.

Electricity usage for each region is being compared on a week to week basis, to results from the corresponding week in 2007. Adjustments have been made for temperature, demand growth, and other factors that need to be ‘normalised’ in order to provide a more accurate comparison. The figures exclude savings made by major industries who are continuing their conservation efforts.

“Winter is now starting to put pressure on the power system. There is a major front of cold weather moving up the country today, so it is timely to reiterate that we do not want people to go without heat and particularly urge the elderly to stay warm. But we hope that people can continue taking the simple measures that they have been demonstrating, such as shorter showers and turning off unnecessary sources of electricity; these sorts of actions help the campaign to save power, as the regional results continue to show. People can monitor the regional savings results every Tuesday and Friday at www.powersavers.co.nz .

The website also updates on a daily basis such key data as lake storage levels, inflows, usage and peak demand, as well as providing a wealth of energy savings tips from experts and the general public.

ENDS

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