Improvements to industry switching processes
Technical consultation
The Electricity Authority has made a provisional decision to amend the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 to modernise electricity switching processes.
Efficient switching processes are critical to a competitive electricity market. They help consumers move between electricity providers easily and ensure responsibilities for electricity supply, metering, and network services are transferred accurately and on time.
The proposed changes would modernise switching arrangements, improve data accuracy, and increase the efficiency and reliability of market processes, helping to reduce switching delays and billing issues for consumers.
This follows previous consultations on switching process in November 2018, December 2019, and June 2025.
We are seeking technical feedback on the draft Code amendments set out in our consultation paper by 5pm, Monday 14 September 2026.
Webinar
We held a webinar on 1 September 2026 to discuss our proposed improvements to switching processes, the implementation plan, and answer questions.
You can watch a recording of the webinar and read the presentation slides.
Make a submission
We welcome submissions in Microsoft Word in the format shown in Appendix B to policyconsult@ea.govt.nz by 5pm, 14 September 2026
If you cannot send your feedback electronically, or would prefer to make a verbal submission, please contact policyconsult@ea.govt.nz or 04 460 8860 to discuss arrangements.
Please note, we intend to publish all submissions we receive. If you consider we should not publish any part of your submission, please:
- indicate which part should not be published and explain why, and
- provide a version we can publish (if we agree not to publish your full feedback).
If you indicate part of your submission should not be published, we will discuss this with you before deciding whether to not publish that part of your submission.
All feedback, including any parts the Authority does not proactively publish, can be requested under the Official Information Act 1982.