Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Piped gas charges rise adds to Northlanders' rising cost of living

Imran Ali
By Imran Ali
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
1 Jun, 2022 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Jan Kini said rise in piped gas prices would further exacerbate the finances of those on fixed income like senior citizens. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Jan Kini said rise in piped gas prices would further exacerbate the finances of those on fixed income like senior citizens. Photo / Michael Cunningham

There's no respite from the punishing cost of living for Northlanders, with piped natural gas charges the latest to rise at the worst of times.

The Commerce Commission has approved a phased increase for gas pipeline charges of about 3.8 per cent on average each year for four years across all household consumers in New Zealand.

For a typical annual household gas bill of about $1246, this would be an annual increase of about $48 or $190 over the next four years.

These figures do not include the impact of changes in other components of consumer gas bills, such as charges related to the price of wholesale gas. The impact on individual households, as well as commercial and major industrial users, will depend on their particular circumstances and arrangement with their natural gas supplier.

The changes come into effect from October 1.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Our decision balances price rises for gas users with the need for gas pipeline businesses to continue to invest appropriately to maintain safe and reliable supply while there is still demand for natural gas," the commission said.

But Whangārei Grey Power president Jan Kini said an impending rise in piped gas prices would further exacerbate the finances of those on fixed income like senior citizens and pensioners.

"It's just dreadful. Power charges are the biggest cost and gas adds to the cost. Many of our 800 members are lucky to be able to cope but so many are struggling.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Rates going up and the cost of living in general impacts on a lot of people."

Whangārei Age Concern president Beryl Wilkinson said any increase in the cost of heating would have an enormous impact for those on fixed income such as pensioners and superannuants.

"It adds to the cost of living and to poverty. The elderly are now turning off heaters more and more. Even the price of a loaf of bread for pensioners has gone up," she said.

From October, it will cost Northlanders on piped gas supply more for household essentials such as cooking.
Photo / NZME
From October, it will cost Northlanders on piped gas supply more for household essentials such as cooking. Photo / NZME

Already, she said freezing pensioners were rising early, rugging up and returning to bed in a desperate bid to stay warm this winter.

Discover more

Concern grows for elderly Northlanders as winter bills soar

27 May 05:00 PM

Households on low-user plan in Northland the hardest hit

05 Apr 06:00 PM

'Hallelujah': Benefit increases welcomed by struggling Northlanders

31 Mar 04:00 PM

'As a parent, it is a really degrading situation, both financially and mentally': Northland mum

25 Mar 05:00 PM

The commission's associate commissioner Vhari McWha said while the remaining life of the natural gas pipelines in New Zealand was likely to be shorter than previously expected, it remained an important transitional fuel and essential for many homes and businesses so investment would be required.

There are about 300,000 connections to the regulated natural gas networks in the North Island. The majority are residential users, alongside a smaller number of commercial and industrial users.

Figures for Northland households and businesses connected to the gas pipeline were unavailable.

Under the Commerce Act, the commission limits the maximum revenue gas pipeline businesses can earn and sets the minimum quality standards businesses must meet.

The requirements for gas pipelines will be reviewed in four years, instead of the normal five. Four years is the shortest period the commission is allowed to set under the Act.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood
Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Roddy Pihema saved a woman and her dog from rising floodwaters in Kawakawa.

16 Jul 06:00 AM
'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court
Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

16 Jul 04:04 AM
Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants
Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

16 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP