Quarterly report to the Minister for Energy, January to March 2026

The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko’s latest quarterly report to the Minister for Energy, Simeon Brown, shows the mahi we have been delivering to ensure the electricity system delivers reliable electricity at lowest cost for New Zealand consumers.

Highlights from the quarter 1 January to 31 March 2026 include:

• the launch of our new, comparison and switching service, 'Billy', so New Zealanders can compare and switch power plans with confidence
• announcement of new rules to improve power bills, protecting consumers with clearer information, an annual best plan check, and banning long back bills
• doubling the mandated default export limit for residential connections to 10kW, supporting community resilience and lowering bills
• announcement of the establishment of an Emergency Reserve Scheme to boost system security and protect consumers from unplanned disconnections
• amendment of the Code to require distributors to pay rebates when households and small businesses supply power to the network at peak times. This will reduce pressure on network costs, which flows through to power bills over time.

The report also sets out progress against our Statement of performance expectations 2025/26. All 17 of our performance measures and all 12 strategic activities – which show how we are working to ensure affordable, reliable electricity for consumers – are on track after the third quarter of the financial year.