Consumer Care Obligations

Improving the Consumer Care Guidelines

Upcoming Open Closed Decision
View submissions Submissions closed 2 October 2023
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Consultation

On 1 February 2024 we decided to mandate the Consumer Care Guidelines to improve protections for consumers.

We will conduct a short review process in 2024 with stakeholders to address clarity, workability and enforceability issues and facilitate the transition from voluntary to mandatory Guidelines by 1 January 2025.

We would like to thank all submitters who provided valuable input into this consultation which sought feedback on the following four options to update and strengthen the Guidelines:

  • Option 1 - Keep the Guidelines as they are (do nothing).

  • Option 2 - Leave the Guidelines voluntary, but address issues around how they are understood. This would help ensure that all power companies have the same understanding of the Guidelines.

  • Option 3 - Make mandatory the parts of the Guidelines which provide key consumer welfare protections (parts 2, 6, 7, and 8). This would require all power companies to comply with these four parts of the Guidelines, with the Electricity Authority monitoring power companies’ compliance to make sure this happens. We think this option is likely to have benefits for consumers – particularly the most vulnerable consumers – but also some costs for power companies (which may result in increased costs for consumers).

  • Option 4 - Make parts 1 to 9 of the Guidelines mandatory. This would require all power companies to comply with parts 1-9 of the Guidelines, with the Electricity Authority monitoring power companies’ compliance to make sure this happens. We think this option would benefit consumers, but lead to increased costs which may result in increased costs for consumers (probably slightly more costs than under option 3).

Decision paper

Preferred option to update and strengthen the Consumer Care Guidelines - decision paper

Preferred option to update and strengthen the Consumer Care Guidelines - decision paper

Consultation paper

Consumer Care Guidelines - consultation paper

Consumer Care Guidelines - consultation paper

Submissions

Download all submissions (.zip)