What we do

Our role as a regulator

As New Zealand's electricity regulator, we:

1. Monitor, inform and educate
   We monitor market behaviour and make data, information and tools available to help improve participation and understanding of the electricity markets by consumers and industry participants.
   
   
2. Operate the electricity system and markets
   We are responsible for the efficient day-to-day operation of the electricity system and markets through contracted service providers.
   
   
3. Enforce compliance
   We monitor, investigate and enforce compliance with the Electricity Industry Act 2010, its Regulations and the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 by industry participants to create a fair and competitive market. We have an industry training programme to educate participants, share lessons learnt and help identify and resolve any systematic issues.
   
   
4. Promote market development
   We are responsible for maintaining a responsive and robust regulatory environment that keeps up with innovation and new technologies to enable electrification and deliver better outcomes for consumers today and in the future.
   
   
5. Protect the interests of small electricity consumers
   We are responsible for protecting the interests of domestic and small business consumers in relation to industry participants supplying their electricity. This includes monitoring how electricity retailers and other industry participants deal with small consumers, including medically dependent and vulnerable consumers.

Our projects

We're a strategy-led organisation that takes a proactive approach to meet our statutory objectives and help New Zealand achieve net zero emissions by 2050. We have a priority work programme with six key work streams that focus on:

• Effective risk management: market participants have access to the tools they need to efficiently manage their risks and to provide signals to guide longer term decisions, such as investment in electricity generation.
• Regional resilience: regions and communities have a reliable energy supply even when there are disruptions eg, from natural disasters, cyberattacks or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Consumer care and affordability: electricity customers receive the care and protection they need and have access to affordable energy.
• Accurate and efficient pricing: is crucial for the efficient reward of market participation and allocation of scarce resources.
• Innovation and distributed energy: new initiatives and technologies are supported which can lead to improved competition, reliability, and affordability.
• Effective competition: delivers reliable electricity to consumers at the lowest possible cost.

Through our projects we're working with the sector to ensure Aotearoa's low-emissions transition happens efficiently, while maintaining energy security, system adaptability, and affordability for all New Zealanders.

Providing electricity data, metrics and tools

We provide tools and resources to enable you to make informed choices, these include:

• Your meter - Finds all of the information you will need about your home or business connection to the electricity network. Use your meter

• Data and insights - Read our trading conduct reports to learn what's happening in the wholesale market and check out our energy margin and generation investment dashboards. Data and insights

• Access to consumer data - We provide access to consumption, tariff and connection data. Consumer data

• EMI website - Our platform for publishing reliable market data, performance metrics, and analytical tools. Find data on retailer market share, consumer switching and wholesale pricing. Visit EMI

• Industry guidelines - Get technical information and advice in our best practice industry guidelines. Search industry guidelines

Providing advice to government

We provide proactive advice to government on key issues and electricity-related legislation. The Minister responsible for the Electricity Authority is the Minister for Energy.

• Letter of expectations - We've received the following letters of expectation from our Responsible Minister:
  Letter of expectations 2024/25 and our response
  Letter of expectations 2023/24 and our response and report on section 44B(2) matters
  Letter of expectations 2022/23 and our response
  

• Briefing to Incoming Ministers - We provide a briefing to incoming Ministers and new Ministers following a general election or a change in Minister:
  Briefing to the Incoming Minister 2023
  Briefing to the Incoming Minister 2020 and A3 Summary 2020

• Government Policy Statement - Provided to the Electricity Authority under section 17 of the Electricity Industry Act 2010:
  Government Policy Statement 2024 and our response

We provide regular briefings to the Minister for Energy on our activities and initiatives.

Working with other agencies

We work closely with the Commerce Commission, to ensure regulatory alignment, and with other relevant government agencies to inform and support an energy regulatory system that enables innovation, competition, consumer choice and affordability.

We are part of the Council of Energy Regulators with the Commerce Commission, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, Gas Industry Company, and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The Council facilitates a whole-of-system approach to risks, issues and opportunities within the energy markets regulatory system.