2025 reset of the electricity default price-quality path
On 20 November 2024, we published our final decisions for the default price quality path for electricity distribution businesses (DPP4), beginning 1 April 2025.
We have published a webpage explaining more about the estimated impact of these decisions on consumer electricity bills. You can read more about this on our website.
Current step in the process
The process to set the 2025 electricity distribution default price-quality path is now complete and the new revenue limits and quality standards are effective from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2030. You can find all relevant documents from the process in the documents tab below including our final decisions on the DPP4 which were published 20 November 2024.
Also included below are associated amendments to the underlying input methodologies for the DPP:
- Wash-ups (made 20 November 2024)
- Insurance entitlements, other compensatory entitlements, and other regulated income (made 11 December 2024)
- Reopeners (made 27 March 2025).
Open Letter: Ensuring our approach to price-quality paths is delivering for consumers
We have published an open letter ( 200 KB, PDF ) seeking stakeholder views on our approach to setting default price-quality paths (DPPs) for electricity distribution businesses (EDBs).
This letter reflects on the recent reset of DPP4, which applies from 1 April 2025, and invites feedback to help shape our future work programme ahead of DPP5, which will apply from 1 April 2030.
Please send your feedback, in Word or pdf document format, to infrastructure.regulation@comcom.govt.nz by 5pm 7 October 2025 with:
- Subject: Feedback on DPP5 open letter
- Attn: Electricity Distribution Manager.
Reopener guidance
We are developing reopener guidance to assist stakeholders, including EDBs, understand the reopener process, the types of reopeners that are available, what is involved in preparing a reopener application and how we will assess applications.
We have published a draft guidance document ( 452 KB, PDF ) for feedback from interested stakeholders.
Please send your feedback, in Word or pdf document format, to infrastructure.regulation@comcom.govt.nz by 5pm 6 May 2025 with:
- Attn: Electricity Distribution Manager
- Subject: Feedback on EDB Draft Reopener Guidance
INTSA guidance
We are developing guidance for the new Innovation and Non-Traditional Solutions Allowance (INTSA) to help stakeholders to understand how to prepare an INTSA application and how we will assess applications.
We have published a draft guidance document ( 363 KB, PDF ) for feedback from interested stakeholders.
Please send your feedback, in Word or pdf document format, to infrastructure.regulation@comcom.govt.nz by 5pm 6 June 2025 with:
- Attn: Electricity Distribution Manager
- Subject: Feedback on EDB INTSA Guidance
Our final decision
To explain our final decision, Vhari McWha hosted a presentation to stakeholders and media with a Q&A session on 20 November 2024. This video is linked below. The ‘Documents’ section at the bottom of the page has the full final decision package, including the final reasons paper, models, and final determination.
Our draft decision
When we published our draft decision in May, Commissioner Vhari McWha hosted a presentation to stakeholders and media with a Q&A session. The video is linked below. The ‘Documents’ section at the bottom has the draft decision package, which includes the draft decision reasons paper, draft determination and models.
Project Timeline
|
20 November 2024 |
|
|
20 November 2024 |
|
|
Cross-submissions on draft IM amendment determinations and draft reasons (relating to insurance entitlements, other compensatory entitlements, and other regulated income) |
17 October 2024 |
|
Submissions on draft IM amendment determinations and draft reasons paper (relating to insurance entitlements, other compensatory entitlements, and other regulated income) |
4 October 2024 |
|
Draft IM amendment determinations and draft reasons paper published relating to insurance entitlements, other compensatory entitlements, and other regulated income |
3 September 2024 |
|
Cross-submissions on draft decision on the electricity default price-quality path |
2 August 2024 |
|
Submissions on draft decision on the electricity default price-quality path |
12 July 2024 |
|
Draft decision on the electricity default price-quality path ( 7 MB, PDF ) |
29 May 2024 |
|
Workshops: |
|
|
14 August 2024 |
|
|
4 March 2024 |
|
|
26 February 2024 |
|
|
22 February 2024 |
|
|
26 January 2024 |
|
|
19 December 2023 |
|
|
2 November 2023 |
|
|
23 June 2023 |
|
|
25 May 2023 |
|
Workshops
We've run a series of workshops with electricity distribution businesses and other stakeholders as we work towards our final decision. This can be viewed on our events page.
Electricity distribution businesses subject to DPP4
|
|
|
|
*Aurora Energy is currently on a customised price-quality path which expires 31 March 2026, when it will be transitioned onto DPP4.