Electricity charges increase but so do charging options

Electricity lines charges are increasing for users on Unison's network, as is the potential saving for home solar electricity generation.

Unison's increased line charges of 1.7 per cent will cost households between $11 for a typical low-user household and $20 for an average family annually, if the extra line charges are passed to consumers by electricity retailers.

The increase is effective from April 1.

Unison GM Business Assurance, Nathan Strong said there were two parts to the rise.

Unison's component of the increase was .29 per cent, the balance coming from the increase in transmission charges from Transpower, which owns the national grid, and increased its charge to unison by about 7 per cent.

"With their significant transmission investment programme we have seen those charges increased significantly, but they are telling us it should be the last year of those big transmission price increases," he said.

"In the longer term, we are potentially looking at some relief from that, in the way in which the Electricity Authority has been reviewing the way in which transmission charges are allocated around the country."

Unison is increasing the incentive for the time-of-use pricing category to retailers, enabling households to save money by deliberately shifting power usage away from peak morning and evening electricity-use periods for the Unison network.

"We understand retailers are becoming more and more interested in providing that service."

"For your typical residential customer it is probably around a $70-a-year impact for every 10 per cent of their electricity use they move to offpeak."

Electricity retailers may add to the incentive to shift, he said.

Households with solar panels would typically save $120 per year just by switching to time-of-use pricing.

Mr Strong said pricing for households with solar panels would continue to evolve following consultation.

"We ultimately see that all customers will need to be exposed to some kind of improved price signal, which we can only really start making available now that people are getting smart metres."

Unison is owned by Napier and Hastings electricity account holders and owns the electricity lines in Napier, Hastings, Taupo and Rotorua.