The Commerce Commission (“Commission”) gives notice that it has amended, under Part 4 of the Commerce Act 1986 (“Act”):

• the default price-quality path (“DPP”) applicable to regulated suppliers of electricity distribution businesses (“EDBs”) for the regulatory period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2020;
• the customised price-quality path (“CPP”) applicable to Wellington Electricity Lines Limited for the CPP regulatory period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2021; and
• the CPP applicable to Powerco Limited for the CPP regulatory period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2023.

The amended DPP and CPPs are:

• Electricity Distribution Services Default Price-Quality Path Determination 2015 [2014] NZCC 33;
• Powerco Limited Electricity Distribution Customised Price-Quality Path Determination 2018 [2018] NZCC 5; and
• Wellington Electricity Lines Limited Electricity Distribution Customised Price-Quality Path Determination 2018 [2018] NZCC 6.

The amendments are set out in:

• Electricity Distribution Services Default Price-Quality Path (Compliance Statement Due Date and Auditor’s Report) Amendments Determination 2020 [2020] NZCC 7;
• Powerco Limited Electricity Distribution Customised Price-Quality Path (Compliance Statement Due Date and Auditor’s Report) Amendments Determination 2020 [2020] NZCC 8; and
• Wellington Electricity Lines Limited Electricity Distribution Customised Price-Quality Path (Compliance Statement Due Date and Auditor’s Report) Amendments Determination 2020 [2020] NZCC 9.

Mindful of the priority of Part 4 regulated industries to focus on providing essential goods and services to New Zealanders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has published these non-material amendments to give non-exempt electricity distribution businesses more time to provide the Commission with their annual compliance statements for the DPP and CPP assessment periods ending 31 March 2020.

The amendments extend the due date for EDBs to provide their annual compliance statement (for the assessment period ending 31 March 2020) by two months, to 17 August 2020.

In addition, these amendments change the auditor report requirements relating to the treatment of successive interruptions for reporting SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) and SAIFI (System Average Interruption Frequency Index), because of potential inconsistencies in treatment approaches.

Further Information

Copies of the amendments are available on the Commission’s website, at https://comcom.govt.nz/regulated-industries/electricity-lines/electricity-lines-price-quality-paths/electricity-lines-default-price-quality-path/2015-2020-default-price-quality-path for the default price-quality path, and https://comcom.govt.nz/regulated-industries/electricity-lines/electricity-lines-price-quality-paths/electricity-lines-customised-price-quality-path/wellington-electricitys-20182021-cpp and https://comcom.govt.nz/regulated-industries/electricity-lines/electricity-lines-price-quality-paths/electricity-lines-customised-price-quality-path/powercos-20182023-cpp for the customised price-quality paths for Wellington Electricity Lines Limited and Powerco Limited respectively.

Copies will also be available for inspection free of charge, or for purchase at a reasonable price, at the Commission’s Office at 44 The Terrace, Wellington (during ordinary office hours and outside of the nationwide lockdown in place at time of writing).

Date of Notice: 9 April 2020.

COMMERCE COMMISSION.