4 December 2006/070
Transpower proposes new prices
Transpower has told the Commerce Commission that it is advising customers today of its proposed prices for 2006/07 and
2007/08. The Commerce Commission accepts that Transpower needs to notify customers now. Transpower’s pricing year starts
on 1 April, and the company is required to advise customers of prices at least three months in advance.
Transpower proposes to raise prices on 1 April 2007 by an average of 15.2% over the March 2006 level. This comprises a
12.2% increase backdated until 1 April 2006, compounded with a 2.7% increase to apply from 1 April 2007.
Transpower had originally announced that it would raise prices by 19% in 2006/07, and forecast an average 13% price
increase over each of the four subsequent years, starting from 2007/08. The Commerce Commission believed these rises
were not justified, and in December 2005 announced its intention to declare control of Transpower’s transmission
services. In March 2006,
Transpower announced it was seeking an administrative settlement with the Commission as an alternative to regulatory
control being imposed. At that time, Transpower agreed to provide its customers with a credit equivalent to the planned
price increases, effectively cancelling the 19% increase. (Transpower has decided to continue that credit for the entire
pricing year, through until 31 March 2007. Electricity lines businesses, or in some cases retailers, have been holding
that credit. In April 2007 the electricity lines businesses and retailers will pass the credit back to electricity
users.)
The prices announced by Transpower today mean that, instead of the 19% rise, Transpower customers will now face a 12.2%
increase for the 2006/07 year. However, customers will not feel this increase immediately as it will be recovered by
Transpower through adjustments to future prices via Transpower’s Economic Valuation Accounts. These accounts are
designed to ensure that over time Transpower does not over or under recover of revenue from customers. In 1 April 2007,
customers will feel for the first time the 12.2% increase from 2006/07, plus the 2.7% increase for 2007/08, a total
increase of 15.2%.
“Transpower and the Commission are still in talks over a possible administrative settlement, but the Commission accepts
that Transpower needs to announce its prices now,” says Commerce Commission Chair Paula Rebstock. “While discussions
continue on a possible administrative settlement, the Commission’s preliminary view is that these are appropriate prices
for these two years.”
Any final decision on prices would be subject to consultation on an administrative settlement, or any other regulatory
outcome, Ms Rebstock says. “There will be a high level of transparency in these processes to assure the public and
interested parties that the end result is in the best long term interests of consumers.” Ms Rebstock said that
Transpower was working with the Commission to resolve matters in a way consistent with the purpose of the regulatory
regime. “The Commission remains optimistic that an administrative settlement can be reached,” Ms Rebstock says. “These
price rises are substantially less than those originally announced by Transpower,” says Ms Rebstock.
“That underscores the value of the regulatory oversight provided under the Commerce Act.” Ms Rebstock said that the
Commission would take no further action if lines businesses breach their price path thresholds solely as a result of
responding appropriately to the 19% increase announced by Transpower. Background Transpower. Transpower is the State
Owned Enterprise that owns and operates the national grid. As a natural monopoly, Transpower is regulated by the
Commerce Commission.
The company has 45 customers, 35 electricity lines businesses and 10 directly connected industrial plants. Reasons for
intention to declare control. The Commerce Commission announced its intention to declare control of Transpower on 22
December 2005 because it considered there to be evidence that: Transpower’s approach to the Electricity Commission
investment approval processes was likely to result in investment outcomes inconsistent with the objectives of the
regulatory regime; Transpower’s planned price increases would have allowed it to recover the cost of investments that
have not yet been approved or made; and the planned timing of Transpower’s price increases was not consistent with the
company’s forecast capital expenditure.
The regime. The Commerce Commission administers regulation of 28 electricity distribution companies and Transpower under
Part 4A of the Commerce Act. The companies are regulated because they face limited competition, and without regulation
could charge too much for their services and earn excess profits. The companies are regulated by having thresholds set
for them that govern the quality of services they deliver and / or how much they can raise their prices by each year.
The price thresholds are linked to the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation. Since the targeted thresholds regime was
implemented in 2001, the Commission published its intention to declare control three times, of Unison Networks’
electricity distribution services in September 2005, of Transpower’s transmission services in December 2005, and of
Vector’s electricity distribution services in August 2006.
In all three instances the Commission is now in the process of considering administrative settlements that, if agreed,
would remove the need for control to be imposed. Control. If companies breach price or quality thresholds set for them,
the Commission can consider imposing control on their electricity services. If the Commission makes a declaration of
control it can then set rules—termed an "authorisation"—governing the prices, revenue and/or quality of those controlled
services for up to five years.
While the company may face penalties if it does not comply with those rules, the operation of the company will continue
to be undertaken by its management and Board of Directors as normal. Control is not intended to compensate consumers for
any past overcharging but to put in place constraints on the controlled business’s future performance. Administrative
settlement. As an alternative to control being imposed, a company may reach an administrative settlement with the
Commission.
This usually involves the Commission and the company agreeing to pricing levels and quality measures for a period of up
to five years. The result is that prices and quality are maintained at levels the Commission considers appropriate for
the long term interests of consumers, without the need to impose control, which can be intrusive and costly. Media
contact: Kate Camp, Communications Manager Phone work (04) 924 3708, mobile 0275 24 3708 Commission media releases can
be viewed on its web site www.comcom.govt.nz
ENDS