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People in areas with the lowest average incomes are paying the highest electricity prices in the country, according to the latest released data from MBIE, analysed by Consumer New Zealand.
The MBIE data shows that residential prices went up one percent over the last year but that is being disproportionately felt across regions.
Power customers in Kerikeri pay 30 per cent more than those in Auckland, where median incomes are 24 percent higher.
Prices in Masterton are 15 percent higher than they are in Wellington, and the representative price in Westport, which has lower than average incomes, is 28 percent higher than in Christchurch, which on average has higher incomes.
Paul Fuge, Manager of Powerswitch, the independent electricity and gas price comparison services, says in real terms power prices have increased by half since 2000.
