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Consumer care guidelines

Consumer Care Guidelines

Information for consumers

In 2021 the Electricity Authority (the New Zealand electricity market regulator) published Consumer Care Guidelines setting out expectations for how electricity retailers should support you as consumers of electricity.  

These guidelines will help you by supporting electricity retailers in:    

  • how they interact with you and work with you to develop a good relationship 
  • how to help you have a good, consistent supply of electricity for your daily needs such as cooking, cleaning, and heating   
  • how to work together to minimise any harm caused by poor access to electricity or trouble paying your bills. 

The guidelines

  1. explain how electricity retailers should interact with you. This simply means how: 
    • to better communicate with you
    • to better store your personal information
    • your account is managed 
  2. aim to support both you and the electricity retailers in giving direction on how to work with you on payment difficulties, poor supply of electricity, potential disconnections, or barriers to a steady supply of electricity
  3. give guidance to those who are medically dependent on electricity
  4. aim to give you, the consumer, better levels of transparency and cooperation from your electricity retailer to help you in your day-to-day energy use. 

View the Electricity consumer care guidelines – Overview for domestic consumers summary of what the guidelines mean for you as a consumer. 

Read the Consumer Care Guidelines in full.