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Consumer care guidelines

Developing new consumer care guidelines for retailers to better serve consumers.

Overview

The consumer care guidelines for retailers took effect on 1 July 2021. Retailers are expected to use our consumer care guidelines to provide a consistent and supportive standard of service to domestic consumers.

The Electricity Authority has conducted its first review of electricity retailers’ self-assessed alignment with the consumer care guidelines. The self-assessments demonstrate retailers’ alignment with the consumer care guidelines is variable and implementation has not been as consistent as expected.

We are currently reviewing the guidelines. As part of this review, we will consider the most appropriate options to give us confidence that all retailers take their responsibilities to their consumers very seriously, including their most vulnerable consumers.

We expect to release an options paper for public consultation in September 2023.

Timeline

Coming up

  • September 2023

    Consultation —

    Options paper for public consultation

Past activity

Project background

In April 2020, following a recommendation from the Electricity Price Review and industry feedback, we reviewed our guidelines for retailers on arrangements to assist medically dependent and vulnerable consumers. There had been significant change in New Zealand’s electricity industry and the existing guidelines were no longer fit for purpose. Our review led to the replacement of the medically dependent consumer and vulnerable consumer guidelines with new consumer care guidelines.

The intent of the consumer care guidelines is to help retailers to:

  • adopt behaviours and processes that foster positive relationships with domestic consumers
  • help domestic consumers maximise their potential to access and afford a constant electricity supply suitable for their needs
  • help domestic consumers minimise harm caused by insufficient access to electricity or by payment difficulties
  • engage with medically dependent consumers - these customers must be identified and recorded as early as practicable and not disconnected for non-payment.
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