National has released a nine-point energy plan it says will take on every part of the power bill, not just the price of the electricity itself, five weeks out from the 7 November election.
The package, which National calls Electrify NZ 2.0, was announced on Friday 2 October by energy spokesperson Simeon Brown. It promises more supply, more competition and more choice for households and businesses, and would be put in place if National is returned to government, RNZ reported.
Brown said New Zealand was in the middle of a renewables boom that had helped lower the price power companies pay for electricity, but that wholesale prices were only part of the story. “But the price of electricity itself is only one part of a power bill. Lines charges, red tape, weak competition, and the cost of keeping the lights on in a dry year all add to what Kiwis pay. Our nine-point plan takes on each of them,” he said.
The biggest target is lines charges, the fees households pay to the companies that own the poles and wires. According to National’s policy document, the Commerce Commission last set a revenue cap for lines companies in November 2024, when interest rates were high, and that cap is locked in until 2030 even though rates have since fallen. With lines charges now making up around two-thirds of the rise in the average power bill, National says it would review the part of the Commerce Act that decides how much revenue lines companies can recover. The document says the current rules were designed for a stable, one-way system rather than one in which homes generate, store and export their own power.
The nine points are, in short, as follows. Developers, major users and investors would be allowed to build transmission lines in new energy development zones and recover the cost from those who use them. Customers wanting a new connection could choose an accredited contractor rather than waiting for the one their network assigns. Homes and businesses with solar panels or batteries could sell their power to any retailer or buyer, not just the company they buy from. The backup power market would be opened up to deal with dry years, when low hydro lakes push prices up. Lines charge rules would be reviewed, and network companies would have to approve home and small business solar connections within two working days. Affordability would be written into law as a core objective of the Electricity Authority. Red tape on renewable energy projects would be cut. A Home Energy Fund would offer low-interest loans for household solar and plug-in systems. And new AI data centres would have to bring their own firmed power rather than drawing on the existing supply.
Several of these are not new. The Home Energy Fund was first announced in June, and the data centre rule and resource management changes have also been flagged before. Brown said every measure would make a difference to prices, though some would take longer than others, and that the goal was a more competitive market. “If you’re going to have more solar, more batteries, there’s an opportunity for other companies to come in and make different offerings, and actually we think that’s a good thing, to have a more competitive market,” he told RNZ.
Speaking to 1News, Brown framed the plan around jobs and growth. “Secure, affordable power is key to keeping homes warm, keeping businesses competitive, and supporting the growth that creates jobs and lifts wages,” he said.
The plan has a lot in common with ACT’s electricity policy, released in September, which also promised to let households sell solar to any buyer and to allow private investors to build transmission.
Labour was unimpressed. Energy spokesperson Megan Woods called the policy an “absolute fizzer” and said National had had three years to bring bills down. “This is not a plan to bring power bills down. It’s an admission National hasn’t got a clue how to do it,” she said. “Families are cutting back, people are rationing power, and pensioners are struggling to keep warm. Meanwhile, National is offering more reviews and working groups instead of relief.”
Woods also told 1News that “National has had three years to deliver, and power bills are still hurting households.”
The household electrification group Rewiring Aotearoa gave the plan a warmer reception, while pointing to two large gaps. Chief executive Mike Casey said the change letting households trade power with any buyer was among the most significant. “This is called Multiple Trading Relationships, and it’s a big deal when it comes to energy sovereignty. It means you might be able to sell your solar exports to your neighbour and buy energy from a different retailer,” he said. Casey also welcomed the focus on lines charges, which are expected to drive most price increases in the coming years.
But he said the plan left out transport and the shortage of gas for industry. Casey pointed out that more than half of the country’s total energy is imported, and that petrol, not electricity, was the biggest driver of inflation last quarter. “That’s a major omission and it misses the forest for the trees,” he said. He also argued that businesses moving off gas need far more help than National’s existing gas transition loans provide.
Power prices have become one of the sharpest cost of living issues in the campaign. Wholesale prices have eased this year as new wind and solar farms come online, yet retail bills have kept climbing on the back of higher network charges. Casey says all the parties now broadly agree on rooftop solar, and the Greens have proposed a publicly owned power company. National’s bet is that more competition and a fresh look at lines company revenue will deliver relief faster than a new state-run retailer would.
Voters will get to weigh those options soon. Advance voting opens on 26 October, and 25 October is the last day to enrol. If you are still deciding which party lines up with your views on energy and other issues, our 2026 election voting tool can help you compare where the parties stand.
Would National’s nine-point plan bring your power bill down, or is it more of the same? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job π
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