Call for feedback on proposed Consumer Care Obligations

The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (Authority) is looking for feedback on a proposed amendment to the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 that will mandate the Consumer Care Guidelines.

Earlier this year we announced our decision to mandate the Guidelines, making the consumer protections they cover enforceable by 1 January 2025.

"Mandating the Guidelines will be a significant milestone for the Authority. This work underscores our commitment to ensuring residential consumers in Aotearoa are treated with care and respect in every interaction with their retailer,” says Airihi Mahuika, General Manager of Legal, Monitoring and Compliance.

“We see this as increasingly important in today’s world, where electricity is a crucial factor in achieving healthy, prosperous lives for people and their whānau.”

Since the Guidelines were introduced in 2021, our journey to improve consumer protections has progressed steadily. Following the decision to mandate the Guidelines, we have been working on the Code amendment that will see the protections of the Guidelines included into the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 as obligations for retailers and distributors.

As part of the Code amendment, we are proposing to rename the Guidelines to ‘Consumer Care Obligations’ to reflect their proposed mandatory status.

“We’d like to thank the retailers and consumer advocates who have worked with the Authority in our journey to update the Guidelines into Code obligations. Their knowledge, insights, and perspectives have helped ensure the proposed operational changes in this consultation address the clarity, workability, and enforceability issues raised without losing the intended protections for consumers,” comments Airihi.

The Authority has recently acknowledged the petition received from Everyone Connected, and has communicated our commitment to exploring the issues raised in the petition in the next phase of our consumer care work programme.

Consultation for the proposed Consumer Care Obligations is open from now until 5pm, 3 September 2024.

The consultation paper is available, and we have also included a consultation quick-guide for consumers to help provide their feedback easily.

Join our online information sessions to learn more about this consultation and get your questions answered:

• Retailers' information session: Monday 12 August, 1-2pm
• Consumer information session: Wednesday 14 August, 1-2pm

View consultation