Thanks to the leadership of Common Grace Aotearoa and everyone who took action with them, the Electricity Authority announced in February that they will introduce binding rules about how power companies protect consumers. Specifically, they will mandate the full set of ‘Consumer Care Guidelines’, which are currently voluntary.
The rules come into effect on 1st January 2025, accompanied by penalties for companies that do not comply.
This means for the first time power companies will be bound to:
- NOT disconnect people who are medically dependent on power
- Take steps to help customers prevent debt
- Communicate with customers before disconnecting them for non-payment
- Ensure customers are on the right plan
- Ensure fees are reasonable.
These changes will protect everyone who uses electricity, especially people at high risk from being disconnected.
This step forward is the result of collective action. More than 1000+ people wrote directly to the Electricity Authority and over 3,400 people signed the petition on OurActionStation.