Vector Network News: Summary for week ending 27 January 2013

28 January 2013

Vector Network News: NETWORK SUMMARY for week ending 27 January 2013

From April 2013, Vector has further improved its prices to offer more choice, better alignment and incentives for customers.

Lines charges for most residential customers will reduce by a weighted average of 8% (for some customers lines charges may reduce by more than 8%, lines charges for others may reduce by less than 8% or, in some cases, increase slightly). For residential customers, Vector will be also be introducing separate low user and standard user pricing plans to provide greater choice and allow residential customers to choose an option more suitable to their usage. Low user and standard user price plans have been created for both ‘controlled’ load and ‘uncontrolled’ load consumers (i.e. with and without controllable hot water load respectively).

Small business and residential prices have been aligned, making it simpler and easier for Vector, retailers and consumers. These two groups of consumers have similar network requirements and aligning their prices reflects the way they use the network.

The prices Vector sets for large commercial customers with power factors less than 0.95 have been increased. Power factor is a measure of how efficiently power is being consumed on the network 1.00 being the ideal (although a more practical target of 0.95 is used by most lines businesses). Vector’s power factor charges create incentives for large consumers to improve their power factor allowing for more efficient network design and operation to the benefit of all customers on the network. Vector’s technical team will work with large customers to ensure that they are provided with the right information and support to improve their power factor should they require it.

ELECTRICITY
Yet another busy week for the teams at Vector as summer finally sets in around the country.

Our electrical response crews attended four car v pole incidents including one in Taupaki when a car knocked down a 12m concrete pole and one in Titirangi South which caused an outage to customers after a truck crashed into a pylon. Crews were also called to attend an incident in Wattle Downs when a vehicle struck a transformer, and a partial feeder fault believed to be caused by a car v pole caused an outage for a number of customers. In all cases contractors were able to restore power to those affected.

Crews also attended four fires including one at a forklift factory in East Tamaki which was quickly resolved. A feeder fault caused an outage in Manukau, our crews were dispatched and the issue was quickly resolved; and four incidents of lines down were repaired over the course of the week.

GAS TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
There was an incident in Rotorua which had our crews out working to resolve the damage. Contractors turned up to a site to find a car crashed through a barrier destroying a gas meter. Fault crews made the site safe and repaired the equipment.

There were two third party strikes on our network in Dannemora and Flagstaff, and crews were called to investigate the smell of gas in Titirangi where repairs were made to the gas pipe.

Please take care around our gas network and call 0508 B4 U WORK (248 967) or 0800 B4 U DIG if outside Auckland.

Projects

Highbury Zone Substation is undergoing a major upgrade of the switchboard as part of improvements to network security in the Birkenhead area. We have recently completed a major milestone in the project which consists of shutting down the 33kV to 11kV transformer, disconnecting it from the old switchboard and connecting it to the new switchboard. A significant part of this work involved turning off the supply to the Chelsea Sugarworks and some of the surrounding customers during the weekend of 12th and 13th January. This required co-ordination between our contractor, Vector and Chelsea Sugarworks to manage the requirements of load on the network, the Sugarwork’s production schedule and giving customers notices of the shutdown. The work progressed without a hitch, and the power was restored sooner than planned.

SHORTS
• Vector owns over 17,737 kilometres of overhead and underground lines in the greater Auckland area, and 12,752 of gas pipe lines, almost half of which supply gas to Auckland.
• UB40 along with Toots and the Maytals appear at the Arena on Sunday 3 February
• Vector, proud sponsor of the Arena.

Vector owns and manages a unique portfolio which consists of electricity distribution, gas transmission and distribution, electricity and gas metering installations and data management services, natural gas and LPG and fibre optic networks.

Vector is listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange with ticker symbol VCT. For further information, visit www.vector.co.nz

ENDS

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