In accordance with section 11 of the Electricity Industry Act 2010 (“Act”), the Electricity Authority gives the following notice.

N o t i c e

1. Title and commencement—(1) This notice is the Electricity Industry (Exemption No. 235 (Legacy Metering Group (LMG) Limited)) Exemption Notice 2015.

(2) This notice comes into force on the day after the date it is notified in the New Zealand Gazette.

2. Exemption—Legacy Metering Group (LMG) Limited (“Legacy Metering”) is exempted from complying with the obligation in clause 1(1)(a)(i) of Schedule 10.5 of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (“Code”) to ensure that an initial metering equipment provider (“MEP”) audit is completed within three months of first becoming an MEP.

3. Term—This exemption expires at the earlier of:

1. the close of 30 November 2016;
2. Legacy Metering being responsible for more than 20 installation control points; and
3. Legacy Metering being responsible for a category 2 or higher metering installation.

4. Reasons for granting the exemption—The reasons for granting this exemption are:

1. the exemption is only needed on a short-term basis;
2. granting the exemption will assist a small new entrant MEP to enter the market, which could lead to increased competition for the long-term benefit of consumers;
3. granting the exemption will ensure Legacy Metering’s audit is meaningful;
4. the exemption will have little or no impact on other participants and service providers, and will not affect any other Code provisions; and
5. the exemption meets the requirements of section 11(2) of the Act for granting exemptions.

Dated at Wellington this 4th day of December 2015.

For and on behalf of the Electricity Authority:

Hon ROGER SOWRY, onzm, Member, Electricity Authority.