Labour will drop power prices for Kiwi families   26 Aug 2014

New Zealand Labour Party

David

CUNLIFFE

Labour Leader


26 August 2014 MEDIA STATEMENT
Labour will drop power prices for Kiwi families

New Zealanders will get cheaper power prices under NZ Power, says Labour Leader David Cunliffe.

“The electricity market is clearly broken. With falling demand for electricity, prices should be going down. Instead prices are going up and companies are extracting excess profit.

“That’s not right and Labour will take action. Labour’s NZ Power policy will bring prices down by hundreds of dollars a year for Kiwi families and regulate future electricity price increases.

“We’re recommitting to bringing electricity prices back under control using NZ Power. NZ Power will bulk buy electricity from all the generators and pass the savings on to New Zealanders.

“We’ll make sure that companies get a fair price for their product but it will be a price linked to how much it costs them to generate that electricity.

“We are sick of hearing every time there is a power hike its everybody’s fault everybody's fault but the power generators and retailers.
It’s either line companies or lake levels or something else.

“Meanwhile, as Kiwi households pay more and more for electricity power companies have celebrated record profits. Contact Energy profits were up 17.6%. Meridian and Mighty River Power enjoyed high profits and increased dividends.

“New Zealand’s power should be some of the cheapest in the world. More than 60 per cent of it comes from hydroelectric generation, using free water flowing through dams that were paid off generations ago.

“Labour is also announcing new measures to increase transparency in the electricity market.

“Under Labour we will standardise electricity bills to include a full breakdown of the cost to the consumer. We will also make sure electricity companies provide consumers with the information that is useful to them from their smart-meters.

“Labour will investigate pre-pay electricity practices with the expectation that the cost of electricity via pre-pay is brought down to standard rates. It is not fair that those least able to pay have to pay the highest prices .

“There is also an astonishing number of Kiwi’s having their power cut off because they cannot afford to pay their bill. This is unacceptable.

“In the bigger picture, Labour has a commitment to ensuring that 90% of our electricity is generated from renewables by 2025. Too many of our carbon emissions are created by the generation of electricity. By increasing renewable’s we can help the transition to a smarter low-carbon economy.

“That’s a move that is critical to the clean green brand we trade on overseas. Labour has a vision for a future in which our environment and our economy can thrive and prosper, and in which all New Zealanders share the gains.”

Add a comment

News

Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students

29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more

New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process

7 Mar 2020 News By Rt HON WINSTON PETERS
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more

Business

NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19

17 Mar 2020 Business News By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more

NZ Government announces aviation relief package

19 Mar 2020 Business News By Hon Phil Twyford
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more

Living

Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London

6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall. It was the first... more

Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate

12 Jan 2022 Arts By Charlotte Everett
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...  New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more

Property

Fairer rules for tenants and landlords

17 Nov 2019 Property By Minister Kris Faafoi
17 NOVEMBER 2019 The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more

New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax

17 Apr 2019 Property By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more

Migration

Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued

19 Nov 2019 Migration By Hon Iain Lees-Galloway
19 NOVEMBER 2019 We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more

Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location

18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018 HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more

Travel

Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more

New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas

19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas more

Sport

The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners

27 Oct 2019 Cricket By Charlotte Everett
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more

PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final

26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more

Columns

Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade

11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade First published on Werewolf The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more

Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome

10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell   Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more

Kiwi Success

Congratulations to Loder Cup winner

26 Sep 2018 People By Hon Eugenie Sage
25 SEPTEMBER 2018 The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more

Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO HON JENNY SALESA Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more

Recruitment

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

14 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more

Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers

22 Aug 2018 Recruitment By RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers RT HON JACINDA ARDERN HON CHRIS HIPKINS Prime Minister The... more