Aurora Energy’s new line charges will come into effect on 1 April 2026.
We understand price increases are challenging, and transparency about what’s driving these changes is essential.
Our line charges are set by the Commerce Commission and reflect the cost of running and maintaining our electricity network to meet rising electricity demand from the transition to clean energy and businesses moving away from fossil fuels. Line charges also include costs we pass through from others, such as Transpower’s transmission charges, local council rates, and regulatory levies.
This year, our prices include a one-off adjustment as we move from our customised price path to the standard price path used for most other lines companies. When setting this change, the Commission aimed to balance keeping electricity affordable with the need to continue investing in the network to support growth and new technologies that help customers manage their energy use.
On average, prices on our network will increase by 21%, which includes 3.8% from higher national transmission charges. Your individual increase may differ depending on which part of our network you’re connected to, the Government’s phase out of low user plans, and how much electricity you use and when you use it.
More detailed information is available in our Pricing Methodology. The Commission has also applied revenue smoothing rules, which will help keep our price increases more moderate over the next three years.
We know the work we do has an impact on electricity bills and want to support you by sharing ways to save. You can find more information here.
Why are line charges increasing?
Prices are increasing because we are moving to the new revenue limits set by the Commerce Commission and facing higher national transmission charges from Transpower. Lower than expected electricity use during 2025 has also had a small effect on our pricing.
How much will the prices increase where I live?
We have three separate pricing networks – Dunedin, Central Otago/Wānaka and Queenstown Lakes. Below is a breakdown that explains the pricing changes for each network.
Dunedin network
Dunedin isn’t growing as quickly as other areas, which means fewer new customers and slower increases in total electricity use. Because our fixed costs stay the same regardless of how many people use the network, having lower growth can put extra pressure on prices relative to other areas.
Central Otago/Wānaka network
In this area, business customers will see a higher share of costs this year because their electricity use, and especially their peak demand, has grown faster than that of households. We’re also moving to the new revenue limits set by the Commerce Commission and this, along with higher transmission charges, is increasing costs for everyone. These changes tend to have a bigger impact on larger business customers.
Queenstown Lakes network
Queenstown customers will see some of the biggest increases this year. This is due to the shift to the prices set by the Commerce Commission, higher national transmission charges, and new Transpower investment costs specifically for the region. Lower electricity use than expected last year also means fixed costs are being spread across fewer units, which adds further pressure to prices.
What are negative export tariffs and why are we offering them?
Aurora Energy will introduce negative export tariffs from 1 April 2026. A negative export tariff is a network pricing mechanism where we pay eligible customers for exporting electricity to the grid during winter peak periods, when the network is most constrained. This is a targeted signal, applying from May to September during the existing peak windows (7am to 12pm, and 5pm to 10pm). It is designed to encourage households to first reduce their own peak consumption, then export genuine surplus when it delivers the most network value. The negative tariff will apply only where smart metering and retailer data can provide a peak and off-peak export split.
We’ve also started exploring the use of flexibility services in the Central Otago/Wānaka and Queenstown regions. These services help support the network and manage peak demand over time, reducing the need for more expensive upgrades.