Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Act 2008
Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Act 2008
Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Act 2008

Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Act 2008
| Public Act | 2008 No 29 |
| Date of assent | 18 April 2008 |
| Commencement | see section 2 |
Contents
The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows:
1 Title
This Act is the Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Act 2008.
2 Commencement
This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.
3 Principal Act amended
This Act amends the Electricity Act 1992.
4 Low fixed charge tariff option for domestic consumers
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(1) Section 172B(2) is amended by repealing the definition of low-use consumer and substituting the following definition:
“low-use consumer means a domestic consumer of a type specified in the regulations.”
(2) Section 172B(3) is amended by inserting the following paragraph after paragraph (a):
“(ab) specifying which domestic consumers are low-use consumers (these types of consumer may, for example, vary according to the particular area of New Zealand in which the domestic premises are situated, or according to whether the domestic premises are the domestic consumer’s principal place of residence):”.
(3) Section 172B(3) is amended by repealing paragraph (e) and substituting the following paragraph:
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“(e) specifying criteria for the Minister to exempt electricity providers, or electricity providers in relation to particular areas, from the application of the regulations if, in the opinion of the Minister,—
“(i) the electricity providers materially comply with the objective of this section; or
“(ii) the electricity providers would incur a significant or unreasonable cost to comply with the regulations.”
5 Electricity governance regulations
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(1) Section 172D(1) is amended by inserting the following paragraphs after paragraph (22):
“(22A) providing for the terms and conditions on which electricity retailers must provide domestic consumers with billing and payment options (for example, smoothed payments and redirection of income):
“(22B) providing for the terms and conditions on which electricity retailers must provide domestic consumers with information about overdue accounts and disconnection processes:”.
(2) Section 172D(1) is amended by inserting the following paragraph after paragraph (24):
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“(24A) providing for electricity retailers to proactively provide information about a particular domestic consumer or a particular domestic consumer’s account—
“(a) to the consumer; and
“(b) with the consumer’s authorisation, to Government agencies:”.
(3) Section 172D(1) is amended by inserting the following paragraphs after paragraph (25):
“(25A) providing for the terms and conditions on which electricity retailers may and may not disconnect prescribed classes of domestic consumers:
“(25B) providing for the terms and conditions on which electricity retailers must reconnect a domestic consumer’s electricity after a disconnection:
“(25C) providing for the terms and conditions for the supply of electricity or line function services to domestic consumers by electricity retailers or electricity distributors:”.
(4) Section 172D is amended by inserting the following subsection after subsection (3):
“(3A) Subsection (1)(24A) does not override the Privacy Act 1993.”
Legislative history | |
|---|---|
| 18 July 2007 | Introduction (Bill 135–1) |
| 7 August 2007 | First reading and referral to Commerce Committee |
| 20 November 2007 | Reported from Commerce Committee (Bill 135–2) |
| 8 April 2008 | Second reading |
| 9 April 2008 | Committee of the whole House |
| 10 April 2008 | Third reading |
| 18 April 2008 | Royal assent |
This Act is administered by the Ministry of Economic Development.