Contact Removes Disconnection And Reconnection Fees

Contact has today announced it will stop disconnection and reconnection fees for non-payment for all customers struggling to make ends meet, effective immediately. It comes two years after Contact removed these charges for prepay customers.

This move will save thousands of families, on average, between $54 and $300 on connection charges[1] applied for non-payment[2].

Matt Bolton, Chief Retail Officer at Contact says as an energy provider, Contact is an integral part of daily life in New Zealand and strives to do all it can to keep customers connected.

“We know things are tough for Kiwis as household costs continue to rise, and the past few years have been particularly challenging for many,” says Mr Bolton.

“We have some customers who are struggling to pay their power bill, despite being willing to pay. To take the pressure off these customers, we have made a commitment to work with them to keep the lights on. We hope taking this step will improve the lives of many households that need extra support.

“Our message is don’t struggle in silence. We encourage customers who are finding it tough, to speak to us as soon as possible. We’re here to help.”

Kate Day, Co-Director at Common Grace Aotearoa is pleased Contact has done this to assist those in need of support. “This is a compassionate step that will make a tangible difference to thousands of people. We applaud Contact for doing the right thing and encourage other companies to follow their leadership."

In addition to a dedicated Energy Wellbeing team and providing more than 5,000 Kiwi households with $2 million in direct support each year, Contact is looking at other ways to ramp up support for customers in hardship.

“We’re working with metering companies to ensure as many Kiwi households as possible are upgraded to a smart meter. Not only will this have practical benefits for customers, it will also enable them to take advantage of one of our time of use plans, known as “Good Plans”, which have allowed more than 170,000 families to receive a combined 151 million hours of free power since 2021, ” says Mr Bolton.

Contact’s support also extends to the wider community with a long-term partnership supporting Women’s Refuge, and gifting three months’ free power for families with a newborn under its Fourth Trimester programme. Contact also provides local support when it is needed most such as donating $100,000 to local communities impacted by power cuts in Northland and Far North in June 2024.

[1] Contact’s previous disconnection and reconnection fees differed depending on the type of meter a customer has. You can find full details of the fees here.

[2] Fees for other services still may apply.

About Contact

Contact Energy is one of New Zealand’s largest energy generators and retailers. We have more than 600,000 customer connections with electricity, gas, broadband and mobile plans. We are committed to leading the decarbonisation of New Zealand, and it is our vision to create and contribute to a better place to live; from the homes and communities we live in, to the land and resources that future generations can enjoy.

We are a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Asia-Pacific(DJSI Asia-Pacific), which is a global benchmark for corporate sustainability, and winners of Sustainability Leadership Award at the 2023 Deloitte Top 200 Awards.

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