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, industry participants and other parties.
   
   
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 are a strategy-led organisation that takes a proactive approach to meet our statutory objectives and deliver a future where all New Zealanders have access to affordable, reliable energy to power our homes, lives, businesses and economy.

All of the work of the Electricity Authority is anchored in two core strategic outcomes:

• Affordability – consumers have easy access to affordable electricity, and many choices of electricity supplier to meet their needs

• Security and resilience – New Zealand's electricity supply is reliable, secure and recovers quickly from shocks.

These outcomes are delivered by an efficient and competitive electricity system that works for the long-term benefit of consumers.

We have a strategic framework which sets out our intended outcomes in the short (2025/26), medium (2027-30) and long term (2030+).

This strategic framework guides our decision making and prioritisation to ensure that everything we do contributes to delivering affordable, reliable power for New Zealand consumers.

You can also view our upcoming consultations and decisions in the Electricity Authority work programme calendar: December 2025-July 2026

Providing electricity data, metrics and tools

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

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

• Data and insights - Get the latest electricity market data, data tools and insights into market behaviour. View data and insights

• Consumer data - Access consumption, tariff and connection data. Access consumer data

• 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 2025/26 and our response
  Letter of expectations 2024/25 and our response
  Letter of expectations 2023/24 and our response and report on section 44B(2) matters
  

• 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.