Price update as of 1 April 2026
Lines charges are rising by about 5%, or around $5 per month for the average home in South Canterbury.
Each year, we review lines charges to reflect the cost of providing safe and reliable electricity. The new prices, effective from 1 April 2026, include Transpower transmission costs.
- About 60% of the increase ($3 per month) is due to higher Transpower charges. Transpower maintain and upgrade the national grid, and we pass these costs on through your line charges.
- The other 40% ($2 per month) reflects the increasing cost of maintaining and strengthening our local South Canterbury electricity network.
Electricity prices are rising nationwide because ageing networks, higher costs for materials and labour, growing demand, more renewable energy, and extreme weather all require ongoing investment to keep electricity safe and reliable.
In addition to residential, average increases are 4.6% for commercial (030, 045), 5.8% for agricultural and large commercial (ASS), and 4.2% for Time of Use (TOU) customers.
We set these charges, but your electricity retailer includes them in your bill, so your total payment may vary depending on how much electricity you use and how your retailer packages these charges.
| Pricing Schedule Effective From 1 April 2026 | Delivery Prices | Number Of Consumers as at 31/03/2027 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed per day | Variable Day per kWh | Variable Night per kWh | Injection Charges per kWh | Capacity per kW/day | ||||
Residential | LOWHCA | Low User (controlled) high-cost area | $0.9000 | $0.1270 | $0.1249 | - | $0.0000 | 2,313 |
LOWLCA | Low User (controlled) low-cost area | $0.9000 | $0.1156 | $0.1135 | - | $0.0000 | 10,838 | |
LOWUHCA | Low User (uncontrolled) high-cost area | $0.9000 | $0.1305 | $0.1284 | - | $0.0000 | 29 | |
LOWULCA | Low User (uncontrolled) low-cost area | $0.9000 | $0.1191 | $0.1170 | - | $0.0000 | 69 | |
Residential and Small Commercial | 015HCA | Single Phase (controlled) high-cost area | $3.6211 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 6,004 |
015LCA | Single Phase (controlled) low-cost area | $3.3318 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 11,564 | |
015UHCA | Single Phase (uncontrolled) high-cost area | $3.7052 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 47 | |
015ULCA | Single Phase (uncontrolled) low-cost area | $3.4157 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 57 | |
Small and Medium-Sized Commercial | 030HCA | Up to Three Phase (controlled) high-cost area lower use | $8.0420 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 9 |
030LCA | Up to Three Phase (controlled) low-cost area lower use | $7.2750 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 4 | |
030UHCA | Up to Three Phase (uncontrolled) high-cost area lower use | $8.2007 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 2 | |
030ULCA | Up to Three Phase (uncontrolled) low-cost area lower use | $7.4499 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 3 | |
Small Industrial and Agricultural | 045HCA | Three Phase (controlled) high-cost area | $12.539 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 526 |
045LCA | Three Phase (controlled) low-cost area | $11.2981 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 743 | |
045UHCA | Three Phase (uncontrolled) high-cost area | $12.7761 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 14 | |
045ULCA | Three Phase (uncontrolled) low-cost area | $11.5540 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.0000 | 16 | |
| Injecting Customers (LOW, 015, 030, 045) | ALPEATEG | Anytime Injection | - | - | - | $0.0000 | - | - |
| ALPEOPEG | Off-Peak Injection | - | - | - | $0.0000 | - | - | |
| ALPEPKEG | Peak Injection | - | - | - | -$0.0300 | - | - | |
Medium-Sized Industrial | ASSHCA | Assessed demand high-cost area | $6.6044 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.2931 | 1,313 |
ASSLCA | Assessed demand low-cost area | $5.9879 | $0.0176 | $0.0155 | - | $0.2612 | 422 | |
Large Industrial | TOU400HCA | Time-of-Use metering at 400V high-cost area | $6.3555 | $0.0127 | $0.0105 | - | $0.6513 | 37 |
TOU400LCA | Time-of-Use metering at 400V low-cost area | $5.7968 | $0.0127 | $0.0105 | - | $0.5841 | 101 | |
Very Large Industrial | TOU11HCA | Time-of-Use metering at 11kV high-cost area | $6.3555 | $0.0127 | $0.0105 | - | $0.5993 | 6 |
TOU11LCA | Time-of-Use metering at 11kV low-cost area | $5.8013 | $0.0127 | $0.0105 | - | $0.5308 | 5 | |
| Pricing Schedule Effective From 1 April 2025 | Delivery Prices | Number Of Consumers as at 31/03/2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed per day | Variable Day per kWh | Variable Night per kWh | Capacity per kW/day | ||||
Residential | LOWHCA | Low User (controlled) high-cost area | $0.7500 | $0.1265 | $0.1243 | $0.0000 | 2,301 |
LOWLCA | Low User (controlled) low-cost area | $0.7500 | $0.1153 | $0.1131 | $0.0000 | 10,830 | |
LOWUHCA | Low User (uncontrolled) high-cost area | $0.7500 | $0.1296 | $0.1274 | $0.0000 | 30 | |
LOWULCA | Low User (uncontrolled) low-cost area | $0.7500 | $0.1184 | $0.1162 | $0.0000 | 68 | |
Residential and Small Commercial | 015HCA | Single Phase (controlled) high-cost area | $3.5132 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 5,959 |
015LCA | Single Phase (controlled) low-cost area | $3.2319 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 11,562 | |
015UHCA | Single Phase (uncontrolled) high-cost area | $3.5870 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 43 | |
015ULCA | Single Phase (uncontrolled) low-cost area | $3.3107 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 57 | |
Small and Medium-Sized Commercial | 030HCA | Up to Three Phase (controlled) high-cost area lower use | $7.8200 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 10 |
030LCA | Up to Three Phase (controlled) low-cost area lower use | $7.0787 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 15 | |
030UHCA | Up to Three Phase (uncontrolled) high-cost area lower use | $7.9706 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 0 | |
030ULCA | Up to Three Phase (uncontrolled) low-cost area lower use | $7.2418 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 0 | |
Small Industrial and Agricultural | 045HCA | Three Phase (controlled) high-cost area | $12.1266 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 520 |
045LCA | Three Phase (controlled) low-cost area | $10.9254 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 725 | |
045UHCA | Three Phase (uncontrolled) high-cost area | $12.3540 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 13 | |
045ULCA | Three Phase (uncontrolled) low-cost area | $11.1728 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.0000 | 18 | |
Medium-Sized Industrial | ASSHCA | Assessed demand high-cost area | $6.1764 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.2824 | 1,327 |
ASSLCA | Assessed demand low-cost area | $5.6805 | $0.0150 | $0.0128 | $0.2513 | 416 | |
Large Industrial | TOU400HCA | Time-of-Use metering at 400V high-cost area | $5.7612 | $0.0130 | $0.0108 | $0.6191 | 38 |
TOU400LCA | Time-of-Use metering at 400V low-cost area | $5.3274 | $0.0130 | $0.0108 | $0.5535 | 98 | |
Very Large Industrial | TOU11HCA | Time-of-Use metering at 11kV high-cost area | $4.6823 | $0.0130 | $0.0108 | $0.5685 | 5 |
TOU11LCA | Time-of-Use metering at 11kV low-cost area | $4.2701 | $0.0130 | $0.0108 | $0.5026 | 5 | |
Notes: Variable prices are made up of day unit prices which are levied in respect of all units used between 7am and 11pm and night unit prices which are levied in respect of the period 11pm to 7am. Prices are based on metering at the grid exit points supplying the network with a reduction for the declared network loss level to emulate usage metered on site. The additional distribution price of $0.1094/kWh for day and night usage in the LOWHCA, $0.098/kWh for day and night usage in the LOWLCA load groups, $0.1129/kWh for day and night usage in the LOWUHCA, and $0.1015/kWh for day and night usage in the LOWULCA load groups is priced based on usage advised by electricity retailers. The additional variable transmission price of $0.0034/kWh for day and night usage for sites in the LOWUHCA and LOWULCA load groups is a special price for provision of electric water heating that cannot be controlled by us via a ripple relay and is priced based on usage advised by electricity retailers.