20 May 2016

Northern customers face power price hikes

2:07 pm on 20 May 2016

North Island customers will pay nearly $100 more a year for electricity under proposed changes to transmission charges, Auckland power company Vector says.

Under the Electricity Authority's proposal, people in the north of the country will pay more for their power and most South Islanders will pay less.

Vector said the average residential customer will have to pay an extra $97 a year, much more than the authority's calculation of $58.

It said businesses like shops and cafés would have to pay $148, schools will face increases of more than $1500 and hospitals $22,000 a year.

Vector said overall, Auckland customers face an extra $78 million in charges.