Electricity Authority Investigates Business Claims About Energy Markets
These concerns were raised with the Authority by the Northern Infrastructure Forum and other organisations.
"We take all concerns raised seriously, and any concerns related to consumer trust or market fairness demand attention," says Electricity Authority Chair Anna Kominik.
After initial checks, the Authority believes the issue needs a closer look. The Authority has broad powers under the Electricity Industry Act 2010 to investigate and hold market participants accountable.
"We have started a review under section 16 of the Act focused on business consumers' access to electricity contracts, including commercial and industrial consumers. Section 16 enables us to use formal information gathering powers to look more closely into pricing and other key terms offered to business consumers to assess if there is a deeper issue," said Kominik.
The Authority is working closely with the Commerce Commission, which has launched a new whistleblowing tool to make reporting easier.
The scope and timeframe of the review will be refined once more discussions have been carried out with those voicing concerns.
Notes:
The Electricity Authority is an independent Crown Entity with the main statutory objective to promote competition in, reliable supply by, and the efficient operation of, the electricity industry for the long-term benefit of consumers. The additional objective of the Authority is to protect the interests of domestic consumers and small business consumers in relation to the supply of electricity to those consumers.
The Authority has the power under the Act to initiate and undertake a review exercising its function under section 16(1)(g) to undertake industry and market monitoring, and carry out and make publicly available reviews, studies and inquiries into any matter relating to the electricity industry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Auckland Council hires private investigator to track homeowner, forced sale looms over $220k rates bill
The council would not disclose the current rating debt. Property records show the home, which is down a private driveway and part of a block of flats, was last sold in 1996 for $438,000. Its new council valuation is $1.025 million. 'For some years, we have been trying to contact the owner, and we are now entering the final opportunity before the property enters a rating sale process,' Tucker said. 'Despite extensive efforts to contact the owner over many years – including direct correspondence, public notification and professional services to find the owner – we haven't been able to make contact. 'We do not take a rating sale lightly, and it really is a last resort.' Tucker said all attempts to speak to the owner had been unsuccessful, apart from one instance. 'Despite a short period of email correspondence in 2023 and unverifiable claims from third parties purporting to act on the owner's behalf, no payment plan has been established, and no material payments have been received. 'The council is taking action now, as it needs to recover the unpaid rates, and there may be issues with unlawful access to the property and degradation of the site.' Due to the absence of verified contact, the property not being owner-occupied, and the failure of all previous engagement attempts, the statutory conditions for a forced rating sale had now been met under the Local Government (Ratings) Act, Tucker said. Private investigator hired to track Wu A timeline provided by the council shows the last full rates payment was made in 2005. The council was in contact with tenants and a property manager between 2006 and 2012, but neither had authority to address the rates arrears. In May 2014, the council hired a private investigator to track Wu before starting legal proceedings the following month, and registering a charging order against the property title in 2015. 'New information about the property's appropriate legal categorisation then emerged, which halted court proceedings while the council worked through associated legal details.' In 2021, the council applied to the District Court to sell the property as abandoned land. The property is down a private driveway and part of a block of flats. The owner last made a full rates payment in 2005. Photo / Google But, after posting a public notice in January 2023, the council received correspondence from a person purporting to be Choi Wu, which prevented the land from being treated as abandoned. The council is now calling for anyone who knows Wu or immediate family members to make contact 'to help resolve this matter and establish a solution'. If the sale went ahead, Tucker said the proceeds would be used to recover the full amount of outstanding rates, penalties and associated costs, including real estate agency and legal fees. The remainder of the proceeds would be released to the owner or held in trust until claimed. Tucker said anyone concerned about paying their rates was encouraged to get in touch to discuss assistance options. These included a government-funded rates rebate scheme, a rates postponement scheme for residential properties, and flexible payment options. Forced sale abandoned last year after discovery that owner had died Auckland Council was unable to contact the owners of this house in Guthrey Place, Ōtara, to arrange payment of outstanding rates and penalties totalling more than $300,000. Photo / Jason Oxenham In August last year, an imminent forced sale of a home in Ōtara was abandoned at the 11th hour after council officials learned the owner was dead. The Guthrey Pl house was set to be sold over an unpaid rates bill of $317,000. At the time, it was the city's longest outstanding rates bill. No payments had been made since March 2005. The council had tried for years to contact the owner and arrange repayment, without success. However, after coverage in the Herald, the court-ordered auction was abandoned when relatives of the property's owner, Joseph William Leef, contacted council officials to tell them Leef was dead. The only successful compulsory ratings sale in the supercity occurred in 2015. Charlotte Hareta Marsh lost her home of 20 years in a court-ordered sale after failing to pay rates for nine years. Charlotte Marsh at her former home in Manurewa before it was forcibly sold by Auckland Council. She had refused to pay rates arrears of more than $12,000. Photo / Dean Purcell Despite repeated warnings, she refused to recognise the authority of Auckland Council and claimed to have paid her rates instead to the 'rightful land owner', Arikinui o Tuhoe, a self-proclaimed sovereign authority. At the time of the sale, Marsh owed more than $12,000 in rates and penalties, and nearly $3000 in court costs. The late activist Penny Bright's 11-year refusal to pay rates nearly cost her her Kingsland home in the months before her death. Bright had disputed and refused to pay her rates, citing 'the lack of transparency in council spending on private-sector consultants and contractors'. The council went to court to have Bright's home forcibly sold to recoup tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid rates and penalties, and it was listed for sale in April 2017. But in May that year, a deal was struck after Bright applied for a rates postponement, which was accepted by the council. The forced sale proceedings were halted. Lane Nichols is Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald, with more than 20 years' experience in the industry. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
ACT Speeds Up Consents To Keep The Lights On And Costs Down
ACT MP and Energy spokesperson Simon Court is welcoming the passage of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill into law. 'ACT campaigned to end the ban on oil and gas exploration and to use New Zealand's Crown minerals – including oil, gas, and coal – to keep our lights on and our economy moving,' Court said. 'We also identified that the RMA made it virtually impossible to consent thermal electricity generation, even when it was critical for energy security. 'From today, gas and coal-fired power stations have the same one-year priority consenting pathway as wind and solar projects. That means generators renewing or seeking new consents for thermal plants won't be bogged down in years of red tape. The race to net zero has made one thing clear – without reliable thermal backup, there's a limit to how much renewable energy the grid can handle. When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, New Zealanders still expect to heat their homes, run factories, and keep the lights on. ACT is making sure they can. 'Experience here and in Australia shows that as more wind and solar comes online, the need for reliable backup grows, too. These reforms make it faster to consent that firming generation so homes and businesses can count on a secure power supply.' ACT is also welcoming the requirement for specified energy or wood processing consents to be decided within a year, with extensions allowed, but never exceeding two years in total. "We're cutting years off the consenting process and removing uncertainty for major energy projects. That's good news for the construction sector and especially ordinary New Zealanders who pay the compliance costs," says Mr Court. 'By speeding up projects and cutting red tape, ACT is helping to keep power prices and building costs under control.'
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
'Is this available?': How to use online marketplaces and avoid the scams
Experts say there are a few things to keep in mind to mitigate the extra risks of private sales online. Photo: RNZ New Zealanders are buying and selling everything from cabins and wedding bands to nappy cakes and cars on Facebook marketplace, as well as online auction site Trade Me. It was estimated earlier in the year that this country's secondhand market could be worth about $5.5 billion a year. But when it comes to private secondhand sales, there are extra risks to watch out for - and not just the chance you'll get stuck in a never-ending loop of "is this available?" messages on Facebook. Experts say there are a few things to keep in mind to help make the process smoother. When you're selling an item as a private sale, the Fair Trading Act and Consumer Guarantees Act generally aren't a consideration. It is the law of caveat emptor, or buyer beware, that generally applies. You're buying (or selling) items "as seen", which includes any flaws or general wear and tear. Consumer Protection advises that it could be helpful for a buyer to ask the seller to point out damage, to avoid surprises. But if you buy (or sell) something that doesn't live up to your expectations, you can't go back to the seller for a refund. If a seller knowingly makes a misrepresentation about a product, the buyer may be able to cancel the contract or make a claim under the Contract and Commercial Law Act. While you can't go to the seller, you might be able to make your case to the manufacturer if something goes wrong. If an item is not very old and it is still reasonable to expect the original warranties to apply, you could make a claim under the Consumer Guarantees Act. It will help to have the original receipt from the person who sold you the item secondhand. If you're buying or selling something that needs to be posted or couriered, it needs to turn up in a reasonable amount of time, if you haven't agreed on a set time. If it doesn't, the buyer may have a case under the Contract and Commercial Law Act. Under the Electricity Act, electrical appliances must be safe even when sold second-hand by a private seller. It is a good idea to have them checked by a qualified person, if possible. If you know that something might not be safe, you can't sell it. If you think something might be suitable for parts, Consumer NZ advices you could cut the cord and apply a label saying the appliance cannot be used. Sellers may need to take extra precautions to stop themselves being targeted by thieves . Consumer NZ warns that people can create fake profiles to arrange vehicle viewings and find out more details about vehicles that are then stolen. This could apply to any item that you invite people around to your house to see. It advised that people should host viewings for things like cars away from their homes if they could. "Doing this means a potential criminal doesn't know where your car is usually located. Lots of people use false names online, so tell people when you arrange a viewing that you'll be taking a picture of their ID before they can view the car. This will act as a deterrent and could help recover your car if a person who views it subsequently steals it." Its spokesperson, Abby Damen, said she had her car stolen after listing it for sale on Facebook. "Whether or not the selling and the stealing is related is unclear. My experience is I put it on Facebook marketplace to sell it ... I thought if I use Trade Me I get charged more fees. A month later it was stolen. "I included in my listing that it had fresh new tyres. That was a selling point but also a selling point to thieves." She said her insurer asked her when she made a claim whether it had been listed for sale. If you're buying a vehicle , it's particularly important to check there is no security interest registered on it. This means it's been used as security for a loan. This needs to be cleared before you buy the item. Even if you've paid for it, the lender might be able to repossess it from you. If things go wrong, you will probably need to go to the Disputes Tribunal for resolution. But even that won't always give you what you want. In one case, a buyer went to the tribunal over the Trade Me purchase of a campervan for $17,900. The tribunal noted that a friend inspected it with her on Facetime before she bought it, and she had it mechanically checked. But when she went to pick it up, there was a problem with batteries and on the way home the water pump was leaking. She could not get the fridge to work and the one time the gas worked there was "loud explosive bang". The heater was also not working. She wanted $8126 to replace the heater, make the fridge compliant and fix other problems. The tribunal adjudicator explained that there was no remedy available unless the buyer could prove the seller had misrepresented the vehicle. The tribunal found that the condition of the fridge and heater had been misrepresented but said there were no claims made about its compliance with gas regulations. The amount she was awarded for the heater was also depreciated because it was already 13 years old and had an expected life of 20. No platform is completely scam-free. But Trade Me does have the additional option of its buyer protection policy when people use its Ping payment service. This means that people can be refunded up to $2500 if the time is not as described or does not show up. There are fees associated with this but Trade Me's rating function will also show you if someone has a history of selling goods that go wrong. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
