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Story
January 3, 1898
The Evening Times
Washington, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
London gas companies successfully use penny-in-the-slot meters, with 75,000 in tenements generating nearly $1,000,000 annually. Consumers buy gas as needed without leakages or billing disputes; a penny provides 27 feet of gas for 5.5 hours of light or cooking, promoting gas stoves in apartments.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Gas in the Slot.
(From the Chicago Record.)
Over in London the gas companies have introduced "penny-in-the-slot" meters with great success. There are said to be nearly 75,000 in use, most of them in tenement houses, and the receipts from this source alone reach nearly $1,000,000 annually.
It is a measure of economy both for the companies and for the consumers. The latter do not have to pay for leakages, and can buy their light as they need it for 1 penny, while at the same time they cannot cheat the companies by jumping their gas bills or make trouble by disputing the charges. The meters are so arranged that the weight of a penny when dropped into the slot opens a valve and releases twenty-seven feet of gas. An ordinary burner consumes about five feet an hour, so that this allowance will last five and one-half hours, which is about as long as needed. The same amount of gas is sufficient to cook an ordinary breakfast or dinner, and used as fuel is a great economy and convenience. This arrangement is causing a great many gas cooking stoves to be introduced into apartment houses and tenements, and their advantages can be appreciated—particularly in the summer, and in flats where there is no storage room for fuel.
(From the Chicago Record.)
Over in London the gas companies have introduced "penny-in-the-slot" meters with great success. There are said to be nearly 75,000 in use, most of them in tenement houses, and the receipts from this source alone reach nearly $1,000,000 annually.
It is a measure of economy both for the companies and for the consumers. The latter do not have to pay for leakages, and can buy their light as they need it for 1 penny, while at the same time they cannot cheat the companies by jumping their gas bills or make trouble by disputing the charges. The meters are so arranged that the weight of a penny when dropped into the slot opens a valve and releases twenty-seven feet of gas. An ordinary burner consumes about five feet an hour, so that this allowance will last five and one-half hours, which is about as long as needed. The same amount of gas is sufficient to cook an ordinary breakfast or dinner, and used as fuel is a great economy and convenience. This arrangement is causing a great many gas cooking stoves to be introduced into apartment houses and tenements, and their advantages can be appreciated—particularly in the summer, and in flats where there is no storage room for fuel.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What keywords are associated?
Penny Slot Meters
Gas Consumption
London Tenements
Economic Benefit
Gas Cooking Stoves
Where did it happen?
London
Story Details
Location
London
Story Details
Gas companies in London introduce penny-in-the-slot meters, allowing consumers to purchase exact amounts of gas needed, preventing disputes and leakages, and promoting gas cooking stoves in tenements for economy and convenience.