FRIDAY · MAY 19 MMXXIII · PRINTED IN LENDERT · THREEPENCE
Electricity supply, like gas and water, is reliant on expensive fixed-line infrastructure which embeds a natural effective monopoly in many towns. Sir Aaron said that existing laws which prevented abuse of local monopolies „were not working as effectively as intended” as the adoption of electric light gathers pace.
While coal and briquette prices have generally remained stable over the last decade, the rapid increase in electricity mills has holpen to expand electricity service to more than 2,000 villages across the nation. However, increased reliance on electric light has underscored the highly fragmented nature of electricity supply in this country.
The new Board will have powers to investigate prices for electricity and where necessary to amerce merchants for overcharging disproportionate to actual costs. „There should be no reason why the householder in Clerkinweld should be paying more than 4d per standard globe hour when the householder in Lendert pays only only ¾d per standard globe hour.”
Sir Aaron announced that the new Board would also investigate means whereby a national or regional electricity grid could be established in the near future, although he emphasised that the Government’s policy was still to facilitate a network of local generating mills and suppliers over any large-scale power plants.