An electric fire, wireless or light left on when no one is in the room may be a slight unwitting waste in an individual household, but multiplied by sixteen million it makes a tremendous difference to the national fuel situation.

This was a point made by Mr. E. M. Hughes, a Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Fuel and Power, at a meeting at Rushden on Wednesday evening.

As a result of the meeting, a local Fuel Economy Committee has been formed among representatives of the town’s organisations, with Coun. Mrs. O. A. H. Muxlow as chairman.

Mr. Hughes said that industry had had a 33⅓ per cent. cut, and their problem was how to get a voluntary cut by domestic users.

It was thought a local campaign by a Fuel Economy Committee would best bring the position home to Rushden residents.

There would be no “snooping.” There were over 70 committees in the country at present, and over 50 in active operation in the North Midland region.

The speaker emphasised that, although minimum consumption of gas and electricity was desired at all times, the strictest economy was necessary between 8 and 10 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m.

Serious

The situation was particularly serious during the present spell of severe weather and during the coming two months. There were 16,000,000 homes using gas or electricity or both.

Points raised by delegates at the meeting were the poor quality of coal in this district; the prevalent habit of using gas or electric fires in preference to coal; the huge number of electrical appliances purchased during last winter and now in use, and the resulting uselessness in telling the purchasers or those in possession of new houses with similar gadgets laid on to economise.

Mrs. Muxlow said the general feeling in the town about the meeting was that fuel was such a price that one could not help but save, and there seemed no further point in discussing “economy.”

Mrs. A. Rowthorn asked what they could do in the face of sheer indifference.

It was pointed out they had no right to pry or seek out individual cases, but rather to appeal to the “economy consciousness” of the general public.

It was agreed to form a committee at a further meeting to be held on March 11th. Mrs. Muxlow was appointed chairman and Mrs. K. Cox secretary.