36 MODERN GASWORKS PRACTICE
above instance from 1,200 to 1,400 may be required, entailing an additional expen-diture of about £16,500.
SUMMARY
£ Pereentages of total outlay.
Total cost of works 241,220 34-9
Total cost of distribution 392,500 56-8
Engineering and contingencies, 7| per cent.. . 47,530 6-9
Law and Parliamentary charges, 1| per cent. . 9,500 14
£690,750 100-0
Capital expended per million cubic feet made per annum . . £1,381
Capital expended per million cubic feet sold „ . . £1,439
Capital expended per thousand cubic feet made per max. day . £329
Capital expenditure per therm sold per annum . . .6s. OJtü.
Capital expenditure per therm made per max. day . . . £69 6s.
If, therefore, a new works had to be built and the district provided at current prices the Capital charges on a 6 per cent, basis would amount to 20-7d. per 1,000 cubic feet sold, or 4-36<Z. per therm sold. Fortunately, a large proportion of the Capital employed in the gas industry was expended during a period of low prices, and it is, accordingly, mainly extensions wliich demand such an excessive outlay.
This is not the case, however, in small townships now being developed, so tliat the numerous garden villages and similar projects will be faced with an un-precedented expenditure unless they are within touch of an established gas undertaking.
The foregoing estimate has been set out more or less in detail in order to show the methods employed for arriving at the approximate outlay entailed in the erec-tion of a comparatively large works. In Order, however, that some guide may be given as to the manner of estimating for small works, it has been thought advisable to include figures which may be taken as typical for, firstly, a 50 million cubic feet per annum works, and, secondly, for a 15 million cubic feet undertaking. The items given are taken from actual figures for works erected shortly before the war, and the costs are tabulated in order that a ready comparison may be made between the actual costs of each. item in the two undertakings, as well as between the pre-war and current costs.
The figures given for Works “ A ” concern. an undertaking selling 50 million cubic feet per annum in a semi-country district, with. small mining and other Industries, and a population of from 14,000 to 15,000.
The sale of gas is made up as follows :—