Vector electricity connection price increase

From 1 December 2021, the price of new electricity connections in Auckland will increase.

The decision to increase our price is never easy and has been made after careful consideration.

In Auckland, our ability to provide a safe, resilient, reliable electricity supply is becoming increasingly complex as the region continues to grow, existing infrastructure is upgraded, and as we look to electricity to meet carbon reduction goals across transport, heating, and industry.

We have a plan to meet this complexity and make sure our electricity network is ready for the future.

As a majority community-owned business, with prices regulated by the Commerce Commission, we are also committed to ensuring our services remain affordable over the long term.

To help pay for this plan, we are changing the way we recover overall network growth costs, so that those who are driving the need to invest in network growth will cover the costs of doing so.

From 1 December, when you add a new connection to the electricity network, or upgrade an existing one, you will pay a contribution towards the capital investment we make in the infrastructure that supports overall network growth. This development contribution is in addition to paying the full cost of the connection at the point of supply.

Without the development contribution we would need to recover a greater proportion of our growth-related capital investment costs through our line charges. This would cost all customers more.

For example, as new connections are added to a section of network, we may need to upgrade a distribution transformer, or zone substation, and this contribution will cover these costs.

This provides greater equity and affordability across all customers on the network, ensures our pricing is more cost-reflective, and is consistent with other infrastructure providers.

At the same time we are also updating other factors that contribute to the cost of new connections, including:

- introducing more standard connection options, which have a fixed price providing certain criteria are met;
and,
- introducing an assessment fee for non-standard connections to recover the cost we incur when preparing a
detailed quote.

Vector remains committed to supporting Auckland's growth, and we believe these pricing changes will help ensure we can continue to deliver a safe, resilient, and reliable network for our customers, keep pace with housing development, and avoid constraining the uptake of carbon-reducing technologies (such as electric vehicles).

For information on getting a new electricity connection please visit vector.co.nz/personal/electricity/new-connection