Electricity won't be able to be disconnected for medically dependent people from next year

The Electricity Authority is set to implement rules to stop power retailers from disconnecting medically dependent customers for failing to pay a bill.

The authority's consumer care guidelines will be made obligatory in 2025, meaning retailers will have to comply.

There are two key obligations that will come into force on 1 January, one to protect medically dependent customers and another to set reasonable fees.

Electricity Authority general manager Airihi Mahuika said retailers and consumers were both supportive of the guidelines becoming obligations.

She said it was important to get the obligations in place as soon as possible.

"Consumer care guidelines as they are today and what will be the obligations are all about protecting consumers in situations where they may face some vulnerabilities, so they may be struggling to pay their bills."

The rest of the obligations will apply to power retailers from 1 April 2026.

"The other obligations are more operational and we're responding to retailer feedback that they needed more time to make operational changes and also to ensure they had adequate staff training," Mahuika said.

She said the obligations give the authority greater power to monitor, educate and enforce compliance to better protect electricity consumers.

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