The Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand (ERANZ) supports the decisions released by the Electricity Authority today that detail how electricity companies and their customers must interact.

“We welcome these final decisions on the updated Consumer Care Obligations. It was actually ERANZ members who started this process by establishing the initial consumer guidelines over a decade ago,” says ERANZ Chief Executive Bridget Abernethy.

“Our members appreciate the constructive approach taken by the Electricity Authority in listening to concerns and ideas from the sector, as can be seen in the detailed feedback published today.

“All our members agree with the start date of 1 January 2025 for the key protections, including prohibiting retailers from disconnecting customers they know to be medically dependent and requiring any fees or charges to be reasonable. In fact, all our members already comply with these protections because these are the right things to do.

“We look forward to working with the Electricity Authority to represent the views of our members, and to ensure that regulations are continually updated to take into account the technological innovations that we know are coming in the electricity sector.

“Our members will continue to strive to deliver best practice customer service, and to provide information to all our customers, so they are aware of their rights, and know what to expect from their electricity companies,” says Ms Abernethy.

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