D4--H
If they had all settled in one locality, the
3,712 electric customers added to PP&L
lines in 1944 would have given the
Pacific Northwest a brand new city of
10,000 population. As it was, this healthy
growth was distributed throughout the
80 cities and towns and the extensive
rural areas served by the Company. At
the year-end, PP&L was supplying low
cost, dependable electric service to
93,831 customers.
ftf UP 14.3
With more customers than ever before,
and with a growing war-time demand
for cheap and tireless electricity, PP&L
was called upon to supply users with
354,906,000 kilowatt-hours of electric
ity in 1944 an increase of 44,521,000
kilowatt -hours, or 14.3, over the
record-breaking 1943 total.
Thanks to the two "rate dividends" total
ing nearly $600,000 which PP&L dis
tributed to all customers in 1944, the
Company's electric users enjoyed 12
months of service for the price of 11.
This practical method of sharing war
time earnings gave customers savings,
during the year, equal to an 8 13
rate reduction.
While the cost of living kept going up
in 1944 (now 25.4 above 1939), the
average price of PP&L electricity went
down to the very low figure of 1.86
ents per KWH for residential service
(21 below 1939). Homes served by
PP&L pay, only about half the national
average price, and use almost twice as
much electricity as the average American
home.
Even though PP&L delivered 44,521,000
more KWH to its customers in 1944,
the drop in average price kept revenues
from increasing with the volume of
business. Expenses, however, went up
due to increased power purchase re
quirements and other operating needs.
As a result, the Company's net income
for the year was substantially less than
the 1943 figure.
Direct taxes for PP&L for 1944 will total
about $1,292,500. Nearly half goes to
the Federal Government to help meet
wartime costs. The remainder goes to
support local, county and state activities
of- many kinds. Like other taxpayers,
PP&L has to set aside a big chunk of
its revenue to meet tax bills, which will
take about 17.3 cents out of every dol
lar of 1944 PP&L revenue.
Wherever it serves, PP&L represents a
steady and substantial payroll in the
community. Last year the Company met
a total payroll, including construction
work, of $1,838,542. It provided em
ployment for an average of 725 loyal
and competent men and women. And
PP&L looks forward to. the day when
the resumption of a peacetime develop
ment program will find it helping to
make many more jobs for ambitious
boys and girls.
In 1944, PP&L spent $273,000 to main
tain its facilities in good operating con
dition and $955,000 to construct addi
tions and improvements authorized by
the War Production Board. In addition
to the expansion of facilities to meet
load growth in many communities, the
Company added 35 miles of rural distri
bution lines to a network already serving
more than 13,000 farms in Washington
and Oregon.
Again we ex tend, to our customers our
thanks and appreciation for their co
operation in many different ways to help
us do our wartime job throughout the
year. Working together, we were able
to n;eet every need for electric service
as it arose. We have confidence that the
same spirit of cooperation can carry this
region forward in the post-war era to
new levels of productivity and prosperity.
11 ,n stRVitta f
1 ' rrca
Pacific Power &
Light Company
Your Business-Managed Power System