12. JONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth) Link to this
to the Minister of Energy and Resources
What recent initiatives has the Government undertaken to help New Zealanders control the cost of their power bills?
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Acting Minister of Energy and Resources) Link to this
There are a number of initiatives led by this Government to increase competition and drive down costs to New Zealand householders. The What’s My Number campaign, which was launched a fortnight ago by the Electricity Authority, has had an enthusiastic response, with over 146,000 visits to its website. In a few quick minutes the website tells consumers the estimated potential savings available to them by switching electricity retailers, and users can then link to Consumer New Zealand’s Consumer Powerswitch website to organise a switch.
The average saving per customer, as a result of switching, is estimated to be $150 per year. In some instances, the savings by switching can be as much as $600. The average number of switches per month now sits at around 30,000. Under this Government the time it takes to implement a switch has reduced from 8 days in 2008 to just under 4 days currently. I am delighted to see that so many New Zealanders are using this tool to actively manage their household costs, and to encourage electricity retailers to offer better deals.
Hon David ParkerIs the Minister aware that average electricity prices have continued to increase, rather than decrease, following the Commerce Commission’s investigation report released on 21 May 2009, which found evidence of substantial overcharging and uncompetitive prices?
In the just over 2 years since National came to office, prices have risen by less than 14 percent, and that includes the effect of the emissions trading scheme. During the 9 interminable years under the previous Labour Government, average residential electricity prices went up by a massive 72 percent.