Households across New Zealand are being warned to expect higher electricity bills, with prices forecast to climb by about five percent as retailers begin notifying customers of upcoming increases.
The rises are being attributed to a combination of factors, including ongoing network maintenance and upgrades, elevated wholesale electricity costs, reduced gas supply, and broader inflation pressures. Consumer advocates had already flagged the likelihood of price hikes earlier this year, suggesting even a five percent increase would be on the conservative side following a significant 12 percent jump in 2025. Additional pricing adjustments linked to lines charges are also expected to continue gradually through to 2030.
Commerce Commission chair Dr John Small told media the increases were necessary to ensure continued investment in infrastructure and reliable supply, though he acknowledged the timing would be difficult for many households. He pointed to ‘structural issues’ within the electricity sector, including the dominance of vertically integrated companies, and indicated support for separating generation and retail operations to strengthen competition. In the meantime, consumers are being encouraged to compare power plans to find better deals as costs continue to rise.
Image credit: Johannes Plenio
There you go. Compare power plans so you can get your price increase from a different supplier.
Another utterly worthless government entity that has no clue how hard it is for ordinary people and couldn’t care less. Time for a new system of government. The current one is an abject failure.
Yes, replacement of ALL in the waspnest is OVERDUE!
Are we by any chance subsiding (in the form of us paying more for power) the data centres??
Yet somehow the Commerce Commission has ignored why they exist. The Commerce Commission is required to ensure markets are competitive and traders act fairly – they have simply ignored the conflicts of interests resulting in the lack of competition in NZ’s energy markets and therefore – why the power prices are too high. There needs to be some public-driven audit or review of the Commerce Commission’s findings.
Just like NZ’s taxpayer-funded health system ignoring the dangers of toxic injections masquerading as vaccines a few years ago
The Commerce Commission and other similar entities are simply DEI employment centres which propagate the government agenda. They never exist for the benefit of the “consumers” – which is what they call people/citizens.
BULLSHIT!!!!
This proves beyond the shadow of any doubt that these government commissions, etc. are in place to actually put-up barriers and forcing the onus back on to the complainants. They exist to deny the populations due-process and to enforce the biased status-quo which holds the stock options in the various businesses thatthe Commerce Commission is protecting!
This is why voters need to STOP VOTING FOR UNI-PARTY POLITICAL REGIMES, AND ROUT THEM ALL OUT OF PARLIAMENT!
Nationalising the Power Grid and initiating an income-based percentage in pricing is what will be needed to satbilise the country’s power supplies, and provide affordable electricity, oil & gas.
“Small told media the increases were necessary to ensure continued investment in infrastructure and reliable supply!!
You mean throwing our sweat equity at unreliable “Wind and Solar Farms”, where the only winners are the subsidized foreign corporation’s manufacturing and installing them, Small?
This is all just another incremental part of forcing through the un / globalist agenda 2030 where we are left with just enough cash to barley get by.
Another worthless Government Department aka tax leaching oligarchy that serves corporate interests. Shameful. All these inquests and “independent investigations” are deflection in this failure of a Governance model. Where is real leadership?
W..kers. honestly a waste of tax payer money, time to dismantle the organisation.