Letters to the editor: Energy costs in Tauranga among NZ's highest

Energy costs are high in Tauranga, a reader says. Photo / NZME

OPINION

Increases in electricity prices are on the way and, after housing costs, this is a major concern for many households.

Tauranga and the WBOP are relatively compact and close to electricity generation and as expected the strictly regulated lines charges are slightly below the NZ average; residents of remote regions such as Northland and King Country have a real problem.

The bulk of a power bill however is made up of energy costs paid to the energy retailers, this market relies on competition.

For many years the Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices has been published by MBIE. The November survey shows Tauranga and WBOP have the second-highest energy costs in NZ second only to Greymouth, a problem that stretches back to 2004 when the survey first started.

David Riley
Whakamarama

City needs election

Comments in your paper by Matt Cowley (Opinion, March 9), who presents well, need to be countered in his support for the Tauranga City Council commission to stay.

His chamber represents the interests of commerce and businesses which, as a group, pay the smaller share of the Tauranga City rate-take.

Residential property ratepayers, who pay the vast amount of the city rates, are in my view unfortunately caught between Cowley's group, and the unelected commission.

For the good of all, democratic elections need to take place in Tauranga with the rest of the country this October.

Doug Morris
Minden

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