General policy statement
This Bill amends the Electricity Industry Act 2010 to require that every electricity bill sent to domestic consumers includes a list itemising the amount and percentage for each of the different components comprising the bill.
At present, consumers have no way of knowing what part of their power bill goes to the generator, transmitter, distributer, and retailer, and what part is accounted for by GST and other Government levies. This state of affairs allows different parts of the sector to blame price increases on other industry participants. Requiring that all power bills include an itemised list will give consumers a clear understanding of which sector is responsible for any change to their power bill.
In addition, this Bill requires that every electricity bill sent to domestic consumers include a percentage describing the renewable energy component of the electricity used.
This Bill will bring improved transparency to the electricity market, allowing domestic consumers to make informed choices about their electricity use.