Privacy notice

This privacy notice will be updated on 1 January 2025 to align with information we may collect under the Consumer Care Obligations. View amended privacy notice

This Privacy notice applies to all personal information collected by the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko about individuals (other than its own staff), whether or not it is collected via this website. The Electricity Authority (“Authority”) is committed to complying with the Privacy Act 2020 in respect of all personal information it holds.

This Privacy notice sets out how and why the Authority collects, uses and discloses personal information. It categorises the personal information collected by the Authority, and the purpose it is used for, across the different types of people that it collects personal information about (website users for this website and the EMI website, social media users, industry and stakeholders, consumers, suppliers and office visitors).

Website users - Electricity Authority website

Online job application information collected: The Authority collects personal information contained in any applications or information that is submitted via this corporate website at www.ea.govt.nz, including from individuals:

  • applying for a job at the Authority, such as any curriculum vitae and covering letters;
  • applying for various industry groups and positions such as advisory councils; and
  • signing up to our newsletter.

We will only use personal information you provide for the purpose you provided it for.

Website analytics: We use third-party analytics tools (currently Google Analytics) to collect statistical information about your visit to help us improve the website. This information includes information such as:

  • your IP address
  • the search terms you used
  • the pages you accessed on our site and the links you clicked on
  • the date and time you visited the site
  • the referring site (if any) through which you clicked through to this site
  • your operating system (for example, windows 8.1, Mac OS X)
  • the type of web browser you used (for example Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome)
  • other incidental matters such as screen resolution, the release of your installed Flash version and the language setting of your browser;
  • behavioural information relating to age, gender, and interests (on an anonymous and aggregate level).

The information collected via these analytics tools will help us to understand how our website is being used, to gain insights about how we can improve the functionality and user experience of our website, and to understand browsing behaviour to give you a better experience whilst visiting our sites.

The analytical information referred to above will be viewable by our website providers, designers and site administrators and certain other Authority staff who need to know it.

Cookies: This website generates persistent session cookies for the purpose of monitoring site usage. Persistent cookies allow us to retain information and settings about a user for more than one session. They are stored on your device and will remain, even if the browser is closed, until they expire or are removed. You can disable them or clear them out of the web browser you are using to view this site without affecting your ability to use the site.

Social media

We collect any personal information you submit when you interact with any social media operated by the Authority. We use it to interact with you and provide you with any services or information you request.

Website users - Electricity market information (EMI) website

Users: The Authority collects any personal information you submit to become a user of the information on the EMI website at emi.ea.govt.nz. This includes your email address, username, your affiliation (distributor/retailer), and any personal information you submit in posts you make or any interactions with us. We only use this information to interact with you, to differentiate between our users and to provide you with a personalised experience.

Website analytics: We also use Google Analytics Demographics on the EMI website. The same information set out above applies to the EMI website.

Industry and stakeholders

The Electricity Authority collects personal information from employees of electricity industry participants and other stakeholders across a wide range of situations where they interact with the Authority:

  • at public and electricity industry meetings and events;
  • via consultation papers;
  • via surveys and mailouts;
  • subscription to Market Brief newsletter;
  • when required by electricity industry law, regulation or Code (eg, information in the electricity industry participants register)
  • via complaints and rule breach allegations submitted to the Authority;
  • during complaints to, and investigations by, of the Authority;
  • during meetings with Authority staff and contractors from time to time;
  • in emails sent to the Authority from time to time.

All of these interactions will collect name, role, employer and contact details. Some interactions will collect more personal information, such as situations when a complaint is laid, but information is generally provided voluntarily except when the Authority is using its powers under section 46 of the Electricity Industry Act 2010. The Authority can use that power to require an electricity industry participant (such as a retailer or distributor) to provide information to the Authority for the purposes set out in section 45 of the same Act. In that case, any personal information covered by the exercise of that power must be provided by the relevant electricity industry participant.

The Authority will use this information generally to maintain relationships with electricity industry participants, provide services requested, fulfil its statutory duties, and any other use it makes clear at the time of collection or which is obvious from the situation (e.g. to investigate a complaint).

Consumers

The Authority collects personal information about individuals who use electricity in New Zealand (“Consumers”) in certain limited situations.

From Registry: One of the main ways the Authority collects personal information about Consumers is via a daily snapshot of the Electricity Industry Registry and cloning standard files sent between industry participants,such as retailers and distributors. This information includes personal information such as address, installation control point number (“ICP”), meter serial number, type of meter, monthly consumption data, and events relating to an ICP such as move in/move out, switching retailers etc.

From electricity industry participants: In addition, the Authority may request other personal information from electricity retailers from time to time, to respond to Ministerial requests, respond to market events such as retailer failure and investigate discrete issues in the electricity market as it sees fit (such as electricity consumer disconnections during winter). The Authority generally collects this information with the authority of electricity retailers, who are in turn authorised by their customers under the retailer’s privacy policy. However, this request may also be made under the Authority’s statutory powers.

The Authority uses this information to promote electricity market competition such as providing API’s to interested parties to query the Registry, issue levies to electricity retailers, respond to Ministerial requests, identify and respond to electricity market issues, and perform its statutory functions which are:

  • monitoring compliance with electricity law;
  • undertaking and monitoring the operation and effectiveness of various electricity market facilitation measures (such as providing education, guidelines, information, and model arrangements); and
  • undertaking industry and market monitoring, and carrying out and making publicly available reviews, studies, and inquiries into any matter relating to the electricity industry;
  • investigating breaches or possible breaches of, and enforcing compliance with, electricity industry law, regulations or Codes (see below for more details on this).

Complaints and investigations: Another way the Authority may collect personal information about Consumers is either because they enquire of, or complain to, the Authority; or an electricity retailer or someone else complains to the Authority about a potential breach of the electricity code, regulations or law and that breach involves one or more Consumers.

Personal information collected during breach allegations and investigations by the Authority can include ICP number, name, phone recordings, contact details, details on children in a Consumer’s household, medical/ vulnerability status and other information provided to support a complaint, and any other personal information requested by the Authority. It can be collected across a range of media such as telephone calls, emails, and physical copies.

The Authority will only use the personal information provided to investigate and decide on a complaint and to share with other parties involved in a complaint and the electricity industry Rulings Panel. The Authority may also share some information with Utilities Disputes (the electricity industry disputes resolution service) if a Consumer complaint progresses a complaint through them. Only electricity industry staff who need to access this personal information for their job have access to it. Any decisions that the Authority releases are anonymised.

Suppliers and office visitors

Suppliers: The Authority collects the usual personal information about the employees of a business or organisation and its subcontractors and uses it to maintain a business to business relationship and obtain the benefit of its business agreement or arrangement. This includes name, contact details, role, employer, bank account and GST numbers any other personal information disclosed during the relationship, and may on occasion include professional details such as work history and qualifications.

Office visitors: When visitors attend the Authority’s office, they are required to sign in. The sign-in system collects their name, their employer or business, whether they have cold or flu symptoms and acknowledgement that they have accepted the health and safety acknowledgement. Their visit history will also be maintained. Visitors will also be recorded on CCTV cameras at the base of the building and at the Authority’s office. This personal information is to maintain a record of interactions with visitors, for the Authority’s usual internal purposes and for the health and safety of visitors and the Authority’s employee staff and contractors.

Sharing

Apart from recipients specifically mentioned under each category of person that the Authority collects personal information about, the Authority shares personal information when it is necessary or desirable to do so with its subcontractors and information system technology vendors. When it does so, the Authority makes sure that this is done securely.

Security

The Authority takes security very seriously and uses reasonable and appropriate security protections to ensure that personal information in its care is not misused, lost, disclosed, modified or accessed without proper authorisation. Access to personal information held by the Authority is limited to those employees, contractors or subcontractors of the Authority who need it to do their job or perform a legitimate business purpose or function for the Authority (eg, maintaining our websites).

Rights of access and correction

To ensure your personal information is accurate and current, please notify us of any changes to your personal information as soon as possible. You may request access to, or correction of, any personal information the Authority holds about you, by contacting the Authority using the details set out under ‘Questions, exercising your privacy rights and complaints’. If we refuse to make the correction you seek, you are entitled to ask for a statement of correction to be attached to the uncorrected personal information.

Retention

The Authority will retain your personal information as long as it is required. The Authority is also subject to the Public Records Act which may require us to hold that personal information longer still.

Questions, exercising your privacy rights and complaints

The Electricity Authority collects and holds the personal information set out in this Privacy Notice. Its address is Level 7, 1 Willis Street, Wellington. However, for further information, to exercise your privacy rights or complain, please email privacy@ea.govt.nz or write to us at:

The Privacy Officer
Electricity Authority
PO Box 10041
Wellington 6143
New Zealand

Amendment

The Authority may amend and review this Privacy notice from time to time. The Authority will provide 30 days’ notice of any change to this Privacy notice by advertising on its websites (such as with a banner). Any amendment applies from the date stated in that advertisement.