New Zealand
Description: National
Metering Conditions: Competitive metering provision, by the network businesses
Regulation of the electricity industry is the responsibility of the Electricity Commission. Control is also exerted by the Minister of Energy, though the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises and the Minister for Climate Change also have some powers by virtue of their positions and policy influence in the government.
The national transmission network is operated by the state-owned Transpower company.
The main generation companies are: Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power and Trust Power
There are 28 regional distributors who have a local monopoly, and responsibility for the provision of metering services.
Each of the generating companies have retail businesses that dominate the market (Contact Energy having the largest market share, Mighty River’s retail business is known as Mercury Energy), although there are other retailers – Bay of Plenty Electricity, BOSCO Connect, Energy Direct, King Country Energy, Powershop and Todd Energy.
Population: 4.3million
Households:
Meter Populations:
Electricity:
- Total:
- Domestic:
- Industrial/Commercial:
- Prepayment:
Gas:
- Total:
- Domestic:
- Industrial/Commercial:
- Prepayment:
Water:
- Total:
- Domestic:
- Industrial/Commercial:
- Prepayment:
Heat:
- Total:
- Domestic:
- Industrial/Commercial:
- Prepayment:
Smart Metering Notes: (Collected from a Variety of Sources)
- July 2009 – there has been quite a lot of discussion about the capability and functionality of the meters being installed in New Zealand. It appears that there are increasing calls on the Government/Regulator to get involved to ensure that smart meters deliver a full scope of benefits that could accrue – at the moment it appears that the competitively supplied metering is being used mainly for the benefits of utilities.
- From some of the coverage:
- “I heard mutterings that the smart meters being installed in New Zealand are actually “dumb meters”, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright
- Electricity generator-retailers are currently deploying most of the smart meters and choosing to skip the functions crucial to delivering environmental and consumer benefits, said Dr Wright.
- “This is not surprising given that encouraging more efficient electricity use appears to offer little financial benefit to retailers,” she said. “Regulatory intervention is needed to ensure environmental and consumer benefits can be delivered”.
- In response to these calls:
- Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee says he will wait six months to see whether the Electricity Commission advises regulating for fully-enabled “smart” electricity meters or to just leave the choice up to electricity companies.
- “The Electricity Commission has to report to me by December 2009 on smart meters,” he said today. “I look forward with interest to see if the report calls for a more regulated approach to smart meters or reliance on industry guidelines”
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