Improving consumer choice

Improving electricity billing in New Zealand

Upcoming Open Closed Decision
View submissions Submissions closed 12 November 2025
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Guidelines

We have released a toolkit intended to give retailers practical guidance on how to comply with the billing requirements set out in the decision paper that was released in March.

The toolkit includes implementation guidance and a suite of exemplar bills to show how retailers can meet the new requirements across a range of billing scenarios. Links to the guidance and exemplar bills are provided below.

Improving electricity billing - Retailer guidance

Exemplar bills

  1. Flat rate electricity
  2. Back bill and Back bill letter
  3. Payment in equal installments
  4. Estimated read
  5. Time-of-use electricity bundled with other services
  6. Multiple accounts
  7. Time-of-use electricity plus solar export
  8. Bill exemplar explainer

To access packaged InDesign files of the exemplar bills for editing, please contact consumer.mobility@ea.govt.nz

These guidelines were updated on 5 June 2026 to correct an issue in Chapter 11: Product Identification Codes around the level of granularity described.

Decision

We have decided to introduce Code requirements to protect consumers by improving electricity bills, preventing large back bills and requiring power companies to regularly check their customers are on the best plan they offer. In particular, we have made changes to:

  • make bills clearer, more consistent, and easier for consumers to compare
  • require retailers to provide an annual better plan check to help their customers move to cheaper plans within their offerings
  • make switching easier through smarter prompts to the Authority’s new comparison and switching service, and
  • limit back bills to a maximum of six months to reduce the risk of bill shock

Together these changes empower consumers, strengthen retail competition, and deliver practical affordability improvements for consumers. We are preparing guidance materials to support retailers with implementation.

Decision paper

Improving electricity billing in New Zealand - Final decision

Consultation

This consultation sought feedback on a package of Code changes to improve electricity bills. Thank you to everyone who provided written submissions.

A huge thank you to the those who took the time to share their feedback on this consultation through our online survey.

Draft amendment to Code amendment

The Authority is making an amendment to its Code amendment 'Improving Electricity Billing in New Zealand' to defer the commencement date of that Code amendment from 30 October 2026 to 1 April 2027.

Under section 39(3)(c) of the Act, this minor change did not require consultation as the Authority is satisfied there has been adequate prior consultation so that all relevant views have been considered.

The draft wording of the amendment to the Code amendment is publicised below. Please send any comments on the draft amendment by 9am, 18 August 2026 to consumer.mobility@ea.govt.nz

Draft Code amendment on proposal C3 available

The draft Code amendment included in Appendix A of the consultation paper inadvertently omitted the wording in relation to proposal C3 which aimed to strengthen Consumer Care Obligations by requiring retailers to proactively offer advice on better plans every time any contact is made by a customer regarding billing issues.

Proposal C3 was consulted on (see paragraphs 3.84 to 3.93 and question 19 of the consultation paper and regulatory statement) and also discussed at stakeholder workshops in December 2025. We received useful feedback from submitters and stakeholders.

As part of good regulatory practice, and to meet our obligations under the Electricity Industry Act 2010, we are now publicising the draft Code amendment that would give effect to our refined proposal C3, taking into consideration the feedback received.

The proposed draft Code amendment introduces a proposed new clause 17A to complement the existing obligation in clause 17 of the Consumer Care Obligations, as discussed in the consultation paper with refinements to address submitter feedback.

Please send any comments on the proposed draft Code amendment by 12pm, 17 February 2026 to consumer.mobility@ea.govt.nz

Consumer feedback

Consumer feedback on proposed changes

Booklet for consumers

Better bills booklet

Consultation paper

Improving electricity billing in New Zealand - Consultation paper

Submissions

Download all submissions (.zip)