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THE POWER'S WITH YOU

The Electricity Authority is proposing to change their connection pricing rules, so that existing electricity bill payers will pay part of the cost of all new business and residential connections to the electricity network.

 

Why are we talking about this?

We’re all about supporting growth on the electricity network, whether that’s new businesses or new housing. But we don’t think it’s fair for everyone else’s power bills to rise to help pay for it.

The Electricity Authority is proposing to change their connection pricing rules, requiring us to make all existing electricity bill payers pay part of the cost of new electricity connections, whether that’s a new house in your street, or new commercial developments.

See the EA's consultation documents below.

The Electricity Authority says its purpose is “to enhance New Zealanders’ lives, prosperity and environment through electricity”, but their plan flies in the face of this as they’re putting some of the burden on ordinary hard-working Kiwis!

We think those who benefit most from this proposal are new commercial businesses setting out to make a profit, not every day New Zealanders. Connecting to an electricity network costs money, and for that to be done fairly, the person or business using the service should pay for it.

We can’t understand why the EA would increase the bills of existing electricity consumers with extra costs to help pay for commercial electricity connections. We want to keep electricity costs as low as possible.

It’s not too late to voice your opinion and make the EA reconsider – by sending a digital postcard from our page. The power’s with you.

 

Send the Electricity Authority this postcard

Fill in this digital postcard and we’ll send it to the Electricity Authority on your behalf to say “no” to their plans.

If they go ahead, you’ll have to help pay the connection costs of new businesses.

Does that sound fair to you?

You are required ‘to protect the interests of domestic consumers and small business consumers in relation to the supply of electricity’ but your plans say otherwise.

Making me pay when a new business or housing developer wants to connect to the electricity network is unfair because… *(required) (250 words maximum)

 

 

 

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What is being proposed by the Electricity Authority 
 

The Electricity Authority is proposing to require lines companies to make everyone who uses electricity pay part of the cost of new connections to the electricity network, including new businesses. As an example, this means when a new business or other commercial development wants to set up shop, everyone else on the network will have to cover some of their costs, even if they later go out of business.

We fully support electrification, new businesses and more housing, and work hard to play as an efficient enabler of growth. But we don’t think it’s fair for existing electricity consumers to have to pay higher power bills to subsidise a commercial operation or housing development connecting to the network.

This is also not what customers want. We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1000 people in December 2023, and found that an overwhelming majority (90% of all respondents aged 18+) do not support the costs of public EV charging stations being borne partly or fully by all customers across network pricing. So why would this be any different for other types of new businesses, or other new connections, like housing developments?

The Electricity Authority’s purpose is “to enhance New Zealanders’ lives, prosperity and environment through electricity”. However, does their plan to put the burden of additional electricity contributions onto ordinary hard-working Kiwis, really live up to their claims? We don’t think so!

 

Further information:

Read the EA's proposals here