Hon Roger Sowry MP
National Party Energy Spokesman

19 January 2004

Power prices set to rise - again

"Householders will be feeling a sense of déjà vu amid warnings that power prices are set to rise again this summer," says National Party Energy spokesman Roger Sowry.

Three of the country's four major electricity retailers are expecting 'higher than usual' price increases as a result of rising wholesale electricity costs.

They say wholesale prices are rising because the industry's had to rely on expensive alternatives such as non-Maui gas.

"In other words, despite the new electricity tax imposed last year, there is still not enough new generation coming on stream.

"It's being tied up in miles of red tape caused by the RMA.

"There might not be a crisis but it's clear from the latest price spike warnings that the underlying problems still remain," says Mr Sowry.

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