Source: New Zealand Government
Recent changes by the Electricity Authority will require power companies to regularly check that their customers are on the best plans for their circumstances and will ban power companies from doing big charge backs for bills dating longer than six months, says Energy Minister Simeon Brown.
“Power bills are top of mind for many New Zealanders, especially in winter, and people want more control over their bills and electricity usage,” Mr Brown says.
“I welcome action by the Electricity Authority to impose new requirements on power companies to ensure they are informing their customers whether they are on the most affordable plan for their circumstances.
“These are common sense and necessary changes to ensure power companies are doing the right thing for their customers.
There is a deadline of 1 April next year for all power companies to fully comply.
“From time to time you hear horror stories of people being sent a massive bill because for one reason or another they have not been receiving accurate and timely bills. Catch-ups will be limited to six months under the new rules, reducing the risk of “bill shock”.
The reforms build on improvements the Authority has made over the past 18 months to strengthen consumer protections including:
- Time-of use-plans: all large power companies must now offer plans with cheaper off-peak power
- Fair rewards for solar: households generating electricity and returning it to the grid get fairer returns
- Consumer Care Obligations: all power companies must help their customers stay connected and support those struggling to pay their power bill
The new rules will mean
- Better bills: clearer and more consistent information to help consumers understand what they’re paying for
- Back bill protections: back-billing is limited to six months to reduce the risk of large unexpected catch-up charges
- Better plan checks: power companies must carry out annual ‘better-plan checks’ with customers to help identify whether the company offers a cheaper plan
“At the centre of these changes is Billy.govt.nz which is making it easier than ever for people to compare plans and switch providers using a trusted source and making power companies work harder to win and keep customers.
“I urge people to go on to Billy to see if there are savings to be made.
“When people can easily see their options and act on them, competition works better. That’s what Billy and the billing reforms are designed to achieve.”
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/10/02/more-protections-coming-for-power-consumers/