Latest news with #NeilMallon
Scoop
11-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Download Weekly: Chorus makes copper deregulation case
In today's newsletter Chorus says copper regulation is no longer needed Reannz expands with New Zealand eScience Infrastructure Utilities Disputes Tautohetohe Whaipainga find billing remains a pain for consumers Cello starts procurement business Was this email forwarded to you? You can subscribe here. "Ditch copper rules as competition kicks in, user numbers decline" In its latest response to the Commerce Commission investigation into deregulating copper services, Chorus argues that increased competition and the rapid decline in the number of people using the services make regulation unnecessary. The network company shows data which reveals copper connections have dropped 33 percent since June 2023 when the draft report was published. Today, there are around 100k homes still on copper. Of these, 75k are in rural areas. Chorus points out it doesn't make sense to use legislation to adapt the Copper Withdrawal Code for non-fibre areas as there are now numerous alternatives available for users. At the same time Chorus says that given the rapid decline in copper user numbers and the speed of the legislative process, any law changes would be redundant by the time they are passed. Chorus is anything but a lonely voice on this topic. There is strong and widespread support for deregulating a range of copper services. Among those agreeing with Chorus are Rural Women New Zealand, One NZ, Tuatahi First Fibre and Spark. The NZ Telecommunications Forum, which represents almost the entire remainder of the industry, is also in favour. Reannz completes New Zealand eScience Infrastructure takeover New Zealand eScience Infrastructure is now part of Reannz. The crown-owned business running the government-funded broadband network used by scientists and researchers, has absorbed an organisation that builds high-performance computing systems for research projects. Reannz chief executive Amber McEwen says: 'Creating centralised eResearch infrastructure will decrease fragmentation and enable more equitable access to infrastructure and key specialist capabilities. Over time, it will create critical mass and enable us to offer a broader range of services.' Billing remains sore point with consumers This year's annual report from Utilities Disputes Tautohetohe Whaipainga notes there has been a 36 percent increase in complaints and queries across energy, water and telecommunications. The service handled 8356 complaints compared with 6997 in the previous year. Billing remains the most common complaint to reach the service and at 48 percent, accounts for almost half the total. As commissioner and CEO Neil Mallon notes in his message at the start of the report, disputes over billing are no surprise. He writes: 'This increase is a reflection of the difficult financial circumstances of many consumers as price increases place more pressure on the cost of living. It's reasonable to expect consumers will apply more scrutiny to their bills, and that they'll be more likely to raise a concern or complaint.' Cello launches procurement business Cello has formed an in-house procurement division which it says will 'Deliver strategic sourcing of telecommunications equipment and, over time, support a broader range of hardware, software and services.' Strategic in this context means being able to align equipment sourcing with business outcomes. The new business will be headed by recent recruit Francis File, who spent 11 years working at Spark, most recently as GM of procurement. File says his goal will be to bring clarity and expert advice to procurement decision-making: 'By blending sourcing expertise with vendor insights, we aim to help our clients make informed choices about their technology investments.' In other news... Building a resilient network — Telecommunications Forum Government gets stick for its AI strategy — NZ Herald The poms are good at fibre — Financial Times Starlink is gathering momentum in NZ — Interest Cows like wearables — Farmers Weekly Three new folding phones from Samsung Samsung has announced three new folding phones: the Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z FlipFE. The first two are updates to existing models, the third, the FlipFE, is a cheaper folding phone. The Fold7 is a thinner, lighter, conventional folding phone and the first to run Android 16 out of the box while the FlipFE is a lower cost entry point. Folding phones remain something of a novelty. According to Statista, they accounted for just 0.5 percent of the total mobile phone market in 2021. They still represent less than two percent of the market. This lack of consumer interest is easier to understand when you look at the price of these phones. Prices for Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold7 start at $3250 for a phone with 256GB of storage. A model with a terabyte of storage costs a nose-bleed $4100. Even the FlipFE, which Samsung describes as 'more affordable' costs $1700 for a version with 128GB of storage and $1820 for a model with 256GB. ITU reports New Zealand telecommunications investment The International Telecommunication Union has released worldwide industry investment figures for 2022. New Zealand is a relatively small player with an investment of US$991 million. Download Weekly five years ago Vodafone, 2degrees offer mobile experience polish: A report from Tutela gave plaudits to Vodafone and 2degrees. Enjoy the Download Weekly? Feel free to pass this email on to your colleagues. Have your say subscribers are able to comment on any newsletter or story on the website. Just scroll to the bottom of the page. Reader emails are also welcome. The Download Weekly is supported by Chorus New Zealand. Chorus makes copper deregulation case was first posted at
Scoop
09-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tautohetohe Whaipainga Sorted Over 8000 Energy Consumer Complaints In The Past Year
Press Release – Utilities Disputes The most common issue raised by consumers is concerns is about their bill (48%). Utilities Disputes has also seen an increase in the number of consumers who are reaching out when facing a potential disconnection (10%). Over 20,000 Kiwis reached out to Utilities Disputes in the last year; and it sorted 8356 energy consumer complaints. Utilities Disputes' latest annual report reveals a 36% increase in complaints and queries by Kiwi energy consumers over the past year. 'This increase is not necessarily a worrying sign for consumers', says Utilities Disputes Commissioner Neil Mallon. 'I think there are a number of considerations that are driving the increase in complaints. Economic conditions and price increases will have an impact, as more and more Kiwis are finding it difficult to pay for essential services like energy. I believe our efforts in raising awareness of Utilities Disputes is also a factor. It's vital kiwi consumers and providers have access to a fair and independent channel to help them resolve complaints in these times and the increase shows this is happening.' The most common issue raised by consumers is concerns is about their bill (48%). Utilities Disputes has also seen an increase in the number of consumers who are reaching out when facing a potential disconnection (10%). 'We are being contacted more often by people facing disconnections and we treat these cases as a priority, as you would expect. In my experience, a lot of companies are working hard to support their customers through difficult financial times. Our role is to make sure both parties can work together but also be ready and available to step in if there is an issue we need to address,' said the Commissioner. Utilities Disputes provides another key service, Complaint Summaries (2961), on behalf of consumers which is aimed at reducing the stress out of complaining – as Kiwis are often reluctant to make a complaint and unsure of how to go about it. 'Essentially, when Utilities Disputes is contacted, a member of staff experienced in sorting complaints will talk them through the process, capture their complaint and what they want the company to do to fix it. This complaint summary then goes to straight to the right team at the company so they can resolve it. The feedback we receive about complaint summaries is really positive; from both consumers and companies,' said Neil Mallon, Commissioner. Background Utilities Disputes is a free and independent dispute resolution service resolving consumer complaints about electricity, gas, water, and broadband installation on shared property. It has a simple and clear purpose – to sort complaints between utility providers and consumers through prevention, education and complaint resolution. Our mission is to be fast, fair and effective. Key facts – Utilities Disputes is a free service for consumers – 21,020 kiwis contacted Utilities Disputes to access our services – 36% increase in complaints and queries – 8356 complaints (6997 in 2023-2024) – 2961 complaint summaries produced and sent to providers on behalf of consumers a 20% increase from previous year – Most common complaint billing at 48% Utilities Disputes Commissioned Research Martin Jenkins research into the 'squeezed middle' highlighted that 1.4M people only had just enough money to meet their everyday needs and were: – more likely to experience problems with their electricity company than other utilities – typically had household incomes between $60,000 to $80,000 – 50% in full time employment – up to $2.9M in savings by avoiding additional negotiation
Scoop
08-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Tautohetohe Whaipainga Sorted Over 8000 Energy Consumer Complaints In The Past Year
Over 20,000 Kiwis reached out to Utilities Disputes in the last year; and it sorted 8356 energy consumer complaints. Utilities Disputes' latest annual report reveals a 36% increase in complaints and queries by Kiwi energy consumers over the past year. "This increase is not necessarily a worrying sign for consumers", says Utilities Disputes Commissioner Neil Mallon. "I think there are a number of considerations that are driving the increase in complaints. Economic conditions and price increases will have an impact, as more and more Kiwis are finding it difficult to pay for essential services like energy. I believe our efforts in raising awareness of Utilities Disputes is also a factor. It's vital kiwi consumers and providers have access to a fair and independent channel to help them resolve complaints in these times and the increase shows this is happening." The most common issue raised by consumers is concerns is about their bill (48%). Utilities Disputes has also seen an increase in the number of consumers who are reaching out when facing a potential disconnection (10%). "We are being contacted more often by people facing disconnections and we treat these cases as a priority, as you would expect. In my experience, a lot of companies are working hard to support their customers through difficult financial times. Our role is to make sure both parties can work together but also be ready and available to step in if there is an issue we need to address," said the Commissioner. Utilities Disputes provides another key service, Complaint Summaries (2961), on behalf of consumers which is aimed at reducing the stress out of complaining - as Kiwis are often reluctant to make a complaint and unsure of how to go about it. "Essentially, when Utilities Disputes is contacted, a member of staff experienced in sorting complaints will talk them through the process, capture their complaint and what they want the company to do to fix it. This complaint summary then goes to straight to the right team at the company so they can resolve it. The feedback we receive about complaint summaries is really positive; from both consumers and companies," said Neil Mallon, Commissioner. Background Utilities Disputes is a free and independent dispute resolution service resolving consumer complaints about electricity, gas, water, and broadband installation on shared property. It has a simple and clear purpose - to sort complaints between utility providers and consumers through prevention, education and complaint resolution. Our mission is to be fast, fair and effective. Key facts - Utilities Disputes is a free service for consumers - 21,020 kiwis contacted Utilities Disputes to access our services - 36% increase in complaints and queries - 8356 complaints (6997 in 2023-2024) - 2961 complaint summaries produced and sent to providers on behalf of consumers a 20% increase from previous year - Most common complaint billing at 48% Utilities Disputes Commissioned Research Martin Jenkins research into the "squeezed middle" highlighted that 1.4M people only had just enough money to meet their everyday needs and were: - more likely to experience problems with their electricity company than other utilities - typically had household incomes between $60,000 to $80,000 - 50% in full time employment NZIER Research highlighted: - up to $2.9M in savings by avoiding additional negotiation
RNZ News
27-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Raft of customer complaints following faulty Watercare metres
politics local council 26 minutes ago The watchdog that settles disputes about essential services like electricity and gas believes it should be mandatory for water suppliers to sign up to the scheme. Utilities Disputes is an independent disputes resolution service; its compulsary for gas and electricity companies and broadband installers to be part of the scheme. But it's voluntary for water suppliers. It comes after Checkpoint revealed 13,000 Watercare smart metres are not working properly, leaving some customers struggling to pay big catch up bills and frustrated by Watercare's service. Watercare is a voluntary member of Utilities Disputes, which means it has to refer any complaints to the service, customers cant make complaints directly. Utilities Disputes Commissioner Neil Mallon spoke to Lisa Owen.
