Mercury Energy supports Christchurch residents and businesses

Mercury Energy is reassuring customers in the Christchurch area it will support them during the recovery from this terrible tragedy.

An initial customer welfare fund of $1million has been set aside to assist paying the energy bills of Mercury Energy’s business and residential customers who are now facing hardship due to the earthquake. Mercury Energy will work with social agencies and business organisations to ensure the fund is targeted at those most in need.

Mercury Energy General Manager, James Munro, says, “Like everyone else, our staff were shocked by the news and the impact this earthquake has had on the people of Christchurch. We have employees, industry colleagues, friends and family, along with over 20,000 business and residential customers in the area, and our thoughts and prayers have been with them all since last Tuesday. We hope over coming months we can help to relieve some of the added stress for our customers whose families, homes, businesses and livelihoods have been affected.”
In addition to the customer welfare fund, the company’s scheduled April price increase for customers in the Orion network has been cancelled and the increase to lines charges previously advised by Orion will be absorbed by Mercury.

Mr Munro goes on to say, “We have a dedicated team set up to help customers in the Christchurch area and urge those with concerns to call us if they are able, or when they can on 0800 10 18 10 or 0800 10 18 60. Over the coming weeks and months, as we get more information, we will review our customer assistance initiatives to ensure we continue to help our business and residential customers in Christchurch in the best way possible.”

Mercury Energy’s parent company, Mighty River Power, is a member of BusinessNZ’s Major Companies Group CEO Forum and, in line with an initiative of this group, has launched a fundraising appeal amongst its 800 employees which the company will match dollar for dollar. All monies raised will go directly to the national Quake Recovery Fund set up by the BusinessNZ Forum in conjunction with the New Zealand Government.

ENDS

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