220
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
have been commissioned. A further boiler and turbine will be ready for commissioning shortly and the final turbine is scheduled for commissioning early in 1959.
The present capacity of the Station is 122,500 kilowatts.
Approximately 550,750,000 units of electricity were generated during the financial year 1957-8, of which 469,933,008 units were sold. Total sales (in units) were as follows:
Lighting
Public Lighting
Power
Bulk Supply
93,344,056
3,023,439
154,178,170
219,387,343
469,933,008
In September 1957 the Company had 95,028 consumers. By October 1958 the number had risen to 111,613, an increase of 17.45%.
Charges for electricity (per unit) are:
Lighting
Power
Domestic Power
Kowloon
New Territories
29 cents
37 cents
14 cents
14 cents
13 cents
13 cents
These rates are subject to a variable fuel surcharge. The rate of 15% in operation at the beginning of the year was reduced to 12% on 1st March. Special rates are available for large industrial consumers.
The only part of the New Territories to have its independent source of electric light is Cheung Chau, where there has been an electric power station in existence since 1913. Originally started as a community project, it later sold out to commercial interests and has since changed hands several times. The present owners, the Cheung Chau Electric Co., Ltd., have their offices in Victoria. The basic rate, as from 1st June 1958, is 90 cents a unit for lighting and 42 cents a unit for domestic and commercial power, with special reductions for large consumers.
Gas. Gas is supplied on both sides of the Harbour by The Hong Kong & China Gas Co., Ltd. which was first established in 1861. Gas is at present provided by a completely modern plant at Ma Tau Kok and by the original plant at West Point.