What are my rights as a power customer?

Your power company must provide you with a fair service

Power companies play a very big role in our day-to-day lives, enabling us to power and heat our homes, but we often don’t engage with them other than paying your power bill.

So how do you know you’re getting a fair deal and being treated well as a customer?

There are rules in place to ensure that all power companies in New Zealand provide you with a fair service and that any fees they charge are reasonable. They must treat you with respect, support you when you’re struggling to afford your bills, and help keep your power on.

Last year the Government made ‘Consumer Care Obligations’ compulsory for power companies. These are a set of rules or ‘minimum standards’ that power companies must follow to ensure consumers are treated well.

Most power companies already have strong consumer care practices in place and already provide a fair, transparent service. These rules simply mean that power companies must:

• treat you with respect and communicate clearly
• have a clear, easy-to-find consumer care policy
• work with you to keep your electricity supply connected and affordable
• ensure fees are reasonable
• be clear about any discounts or bonds (a bond is an upfront lump sum payment to a retailer)
• ask if you or someone in your household relies on electricity for health reasons
• not disconnect you for non-payment, if you or someone in your household is a medically dependent consumer
• provide you with support if you’re having trouble paying your bill.

All power companies must publish their consumer care policy, which explains how they meet these requirements. The policy must be in a place that is easy to find on their website.

What can I do if I’m not happy with the service my power company is providing?

There are a lot of things you can do if you’re not happy with your power company.

Firstly, you should get in touch with your power company’s customer support team to raise any issues or concerns. They must be clear and respectful when communicating with you, and they will be able to explain the options available to resolve your concerns.

Information about how to contact your power company will be on their website and on your power bill. Power companies must make it easy for you to contact them, including their customer support team, and most power companies have 0800 numbers, emails or online chat channels you can access for free.

If you’re still not happy with your power company after contacting them, you can lodge a formal complaint. Read our article about making a complaint about your power company to find out more about how to lodge a complaint.

If you’re struggling to pay your power bill, there is support available. Visit our support page to find out where you can go if you need support.

Do power companies need to give me the best power deal?

Power companies must give you enough information to choose a power plan that’s best for you, but it’s your decision what plan you choose. You can contact your power company and ask them if you are on the most suitable plan for your needs. Each household has different needs so it’s best to discuss with the power company to find a plan that is most suitable for you.

Understanding the differences between different power plans can be overwhelming, so it’s important to know what to look out for. Read our article about how to choose the right provider for guidance on choosing the right plan.