2026/27 Levy-funded appropriations

Electricity is essential to the livelihood of all New Zealanders. The work of the Electricity Authority supports an electricity sector worth $23.8 billion.

We are funded by the Government through a levy on industry participants. It’s on-charged through your electricity bill – about 0.5% of a typical monthly household bill.

Each year, we invite feedback on our funding and how it will be used to inform our request to the Government.

For our work programme for 2026/27, we propose to absorb up to $3.2 million in expected cost increases next year for the enforcement of level playing field rules (subject to consultation and Board decision) and inflation-related increases to the Authority’s own operating costs.

We also propose to absorb expected costs as a result of the Government’s commitment to strengthening the Authority following the Frontier report.

We propose a small increase to our Electricity Industry Governance and Market Operations appropriation to cover inflation-linked contractual obligations to our third-party service providers, who make up almost two-thirds of our costs.

For the Authority’s other two appropriations, Managing the Security of New Zealand’s Electricity Supply and the Electricity Litigation Fund, we propose that these two appropriations remain the same as previous years.

We welcome your submissions on these proposals.