Aucklanders are cranking up the air con to cope with the rising heat and humidity this week, causing a spike in electricity usage, Transpower says.

One in five Auckland households switched power companies last year, helping them save an average of $136 in the process.

Genesis Energy, the country's biggest energy retailer, will permanently retire a coal/gas-fired unit at the Huntly Power Station.

McConnell Dowell Constructors is drilling an underground tunnel north of Auckland, from the Watercare Pump Station at Orewa to subdivisions north of Grand Drive.

The risk of emergency overflows of sewage into the Manukau Harbour for a further 50 years is being highlighted by community groups.

People are suffering from "energy poverty" and switching off their electricity to save money as new figures reveal power bills have risen an average of $65 in the past year.

The Health Minister is warning that an anti-fluoridation group which has its sights on ridding Auckland of fluoride in its water is running an "organised campaign of misinformation".

The Auckland Council is talking up another one million residents in the city by 2041, but it is taking a prudent line when it comes to providing services.

The Auckland Council hasn't done any work to compare urban and rural infrastructure costs as it asks Aucklanders to adapt to a new way of life.

Business is a bit of a struggle for Karen and Don Tanner. They have run their electroplating firm for 35 years but, faced with increased competition from cheap imports, struggled to make a $3000 profit last year.

Editorial: If anything useful has been learned from the Labour Party's pursuit of Solid Energy, it is that there are severe limits to the present Government's asset sales.

The Government has grossly underestimated the value of hydro-energy assets to New Zealand citizens, writes Wayne Cartwright.

Indeed TV3 reported last year that David Shearer and John Key hold the same position, that "nobody owns water. It's everybody's resource".

Auckland's water supply is holding strong, despite an unusually balmy summer which has kept carrier companies busy.

Long-serving Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder has joined the exodus from the top of the state-owned enterprise, his departure welcomed on the West Coast.

As 2012 draws to a close there is no such thing as the "good old days" when it comes to water use in town or country.

Power bills have jumped more than $100 this year, latest figures show - but Auckland households can expect some reprieve next year.

High-level discussions are taking place to stop councils providing water services and pass control to a handful of companies run on commercial lines.

Watercare Services has received 765 complaints since radical changes on July 1 to the way Aucklanders pay for water.

Household power bills have risen by up to $316 this year, and lines companies and retailers are blaming each other for the increases.

Vector Energy says it's identified the source of the leak, but it's going to be a slow process to fix the pipeline. The company says removing gas from the line could cause an explosion..