In accordance with section 11(2) of the Electricity Industry Act 2010 (“Act”), the Electricity Authority (“Authority”) gives the following notice.

Notice

1. Title and commencement

(1) This notice is the Electricity Industry (Exemption No. 361 (The Lines Company Limited) Exemption Notice 2025.

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

2. Exemption

(1) The Lines Company Limited is exempted from complying with the obligation in clause 23(3) of Schedule 11.1 of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (“Code”) which requires that a new price category code must not take effect earlier than two months after the date on which it is entered in the Authority’s registry.

3. Term

(1) This exemption expires on the earlier of:

1. 15 December 2028; or
2. the date any amendment to the Code comes into force, the effect of which is this exemption is no longer required.

4. Conditions

(1) This exemption applies only when the following conditions have been met:

1. the trial population must not exceed 200 ICP identifiers;
2. The Lines Company Limited must be the distributor for all ICP identifiers involved in the trial;
3. the exemption only applies to ICP identifiers involved in the trial;
4. before a change is made in the registry to the price category code, the trader for the ICP, the customer at the donating ICP identifier, and The Lines Company must agree in writing to;
1. the new price category code; and
2. to waive the two month delay required by Schedule 11.1, clause 23(3);
5. The Lines Company Limited must report to the Authority every six months, starting from the date the exemption is gazetted. These reports must include:
1. the total number of donating ICPs participating in the trial;
2. the total number of receiving ICPs participating in the trial;
3. the total number of retailers participating in the trial; and
4. the total amount of money donated in New Zealand Dollars (NZD).

5. Reasons for granting the exemption

(1) The Lines Company Limited is running a pilot of a voluntary network tariff that enables customers with solar panels to donate excess energy to vulnerable community members.

(2) The Authority is satisfied that it is not necessary for the purpose of achieving the Authority’s objectives under section 15 of the Act for The Lines Company Limited to comply with clause 23(3) of Schedule 11.1 of the Code because:

1. compliance with the two-month delay requirement in clause 23(3) of Schedule 11.1 of the Code is not necessary under the pilot as the price category code is agreed by the trader for the ICP, the customer at the donating ICP identifier, and The Lines Company before the price category code is entered in registry; and
2. granting the exemption will;
1. improve the efficiency of The Lines Company Limited’s pilot by avoiding delays to the implementation of the pilot and the associated benefits, including benefits to vulnerable consumers;
2. and a positive impact on the additional objective in section 15 of the Act (to protect domestic and small business consumers in relation to the supply of electricity to those customers)
3. have no impact on competition and reliability of supply.

Dated at Wellington this 5th day of December 2025.

For and on behalf of the Authority:
PAULA ROSE qso, Chair of the Compliance Committee Electricity Authority.