We regulate New Zealand’s electricity market.
Electricity is created when electrons flow through a conducting material, such as the copper or aluminium used in power lines.
Electricity meters keep track of how much power you are using. There are either analogue or smart meters.
You need to sign a contract with the electricity retailer you've chosen. This contract protects you and your rights. It’s important to read and understand the terms and conditions.
New Zealand has one of the fastest switching times in the world.
Innovations in the electricity sector are providing new ways to generate, store and even sell electricity through technology such as solar panels, small wind turbines, and batteries.
We have made it easy for you to access information about your power.
Your bill shows how much power you have used and how much you need to pay.
Our market development work is important to achieving our statutory objective to promote competition in, reliable supply by and the efficient operation of the electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers.
A number of different groups provide us with specialist independent and technical advice and recommendations.
We monitor the electricity industry for competitiveness, efficiency and reliability to see if any improvements can be made for the long-term benefit of consumers.
Our electricity market information (EMI) website has a wide range of performance metrics, analytical tools and data available to view or download, for example, retailer market share, monthly switching reports, wholesale final pricing and much more.
If an anomalous event or outcome occurs in the market or the broader electricity sector, we investigate it to determine the causes and whether something can or should be done to prevent such an event or outcome from occurring again.
We develop policy, code provisions and systems for the buying and selling of wholesale electricity and for managing security of supply.
We determine transmission pricing policy and grid reliability standards.
We oversee distributors' interactions with other industry participants and the parts of their operation that have obligations under the Code.
We oversee the processes that deal with accuracy of metering, meter reading and customer switching between retailers - including ways to minimise entry barriers to new retailers.
Participants in the electricity industry must register with us and be listed on the industry participant register.
We contract a range of market operation service providers to operate the electricity markets.
The Electricity Industry Act 2010 allows us to amend the Code and sets out the process we must follow.
The Code sets out industry participant responsibilities, including our own duties and responsibilities.
In the electricity market, a UTS is an extraordinary event that has threatened the integrity of the wholesale market.
We're responsible for ensuring industry participants comply with the Regulations and the Code.
The Rulings Panel assists in the enforcement of the Code by dealing with complaints, appeals and disputes under the Code.
This page contains details of High Court Decisions relating to the Authority's compliance function.
The Electricity Authority is an independent Crown entity responsible for the efficient operation of the New Zealand electricity market. We are the electricity market regulator.
We promote competition in, reliable supply by, and the efficient operation of, the electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers.
Documents with key strategic statements as to how the Authority will approach its decision making.
Contact details for the Electricity Authority
The Electricity Authority promotes competition in, reliable supply by, and the efficient operation of, the New Zealand electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers.
26 Mar
The Authority is proposing to remove constrained on payments for generation that is dispatched down at its maximum ramp rate.
26 Mar
The Code requires the Authority and the system operator (Transpower) to agree and publish a joint development programme at least annually.
26 Mar
The Authority is running a one day metering equipment provider (MEP) and approved test house (ATH) forum in Wellington on Tuesday, 30 April 2019.
20 Mar
All meeting papers can be viewed on our website.
19 Mar
We are consulting on three remaining elements of the design for spot market settlement on real-time pricing (RTP).
19 Mar
We would like to know if participants would use RESTful web services in the registry.
19 Mar
The Authority has completed a post-implementation review of the wholesale settlement and prudential security arrangements.
19 Mar
The Authority, with the assistance of the system operator, is holding a public briefing for the real-time pricing project on 29 March
12 Mar
The Chief Executive of the Authority gave his view on the wholesale electricity market in the lead-up to the Downstream Energy Market conference.
12 Mar
We have published the papers from the Market Development Advisory Group (MDAG) meeting on 26 February 2019.
12 Mar
The stress test scenarios previously published on the Authority's website will apply for the April–June quarter of 2019.
05 Mar
We have published our annual review of the performance of the system operator (Transpower) for the period ended 30 June 2018.
28 Feb
The Board has concluded the event does not constitute a UTS. The Authority’s analysis and conclusions are detailed in the decision document.
26 Feb
We have published the 40 submissions received on our consultation paper More efficient distribution prices.
26 Feb
We have published submissions received on the review of regulatory settings for official conservation campaigns consultation paper.
26 Feb
We have approved a settlement between Transpower, as the grid owner and as the system operator, and Meridian Energy Limited.
26 Feb
We have discontinued two investigations into alleged breaches of the Code.
26 Feb
We have granted and gazetted an exemption (No. 276).
19 Feb
The Authority has commenced two investigations of alleged breaches of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (Code).
19 Feb
We are calling for nominations for one trader member and one metering equipment provider member to join the Standing Data Formats Group (SDFG).
12 Feb
The Authority has appointed Professor Rosalind Archer and Roxanne Salton to be new members of the Innovation and Participation Advisory Group.
05 Feb
We have published the lists of distributed generation in the upper North Island and upper South Island that is eligible to qualify to receive ACOT.
05 Feb
We have published the Compliance Committee meeting dates for 2019.
01 Feb
We are proposing changes to the regulatory settings for official conservation campaigns – one of the key tools we use to manage security of supply.
29 Jan
We have published submissions in response to the review of metering and related registry processes consultation.
29 Jan
We have now incorporated a replacement system operator policy statement into the Code.
29 Jan
The Authority is releasing an anonymised version of the determination to provide information and guidance for distributors and distributed generators.
29 Jan
On 1 February 2019 further amendments from the Electricity Industry Participation Code Amendment (Code Review Programme) 2018, will come into force.
22 Jan
The Authority is consulting on the requirement for advisory group Chairs to be independent.
18 Jan
The Authority and Transpower are running a further stakeholder briefing event in Auckland on their coordinated projects related to security of supply.
15 Jan
We have now published the submissions received for three of the four papers in our first market enhancement omnibus.
15 Jan
We have published submissions in response to our second consultation paper proposing further operational amendments to EIEPs 1 and 5A.
15 Jan
In response to stakeholder feedback we have extended our consultation to close at 5pm on Monday, 11 February 2019.
15 Jan
The Authority has published updated drafts of the Default Distributor Agreement (DDA) material, for the information of interested parties.
15 Jan
The Authority has updated the guideline which sets out the methodology for statistical sampling of distributed unmetered load (DUML).
11 Jan
A new policy statement has been published, with the adoption of the replacement plan effective from 11 January 2019.
Trending Pages
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Trending Documents
Electricity in New Zealand PDF 9.6 MB
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The Code
Download entire Code 6.6 MB Version: 30th January 2019
EMAIL: info@ea.govt.nz
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