Price category review

We are currently making a small number of price category changes. If there is an alteration to your price category, your electricity retailer will contact you directly to explain the impact and any next steps.

How this is happening:

  • Orion is notifying retailers where a price category alteration for a customer is required.
  • Retailers will notify customers of any change.
  • Note: the alterations we are currently looking into affect only 1% of Orion’s total customers.

Residential customers:

You can be on a residential standard user price category if:

  • Your connection is for a home or residence and is not normally used for business.
  • A connection under this category can include things like a small domestic pump, garage, or shed that are part of your home, even if they have their own separate ICP.
  • Note: this does not include shared services in multi-tenant buildings, like hallway lighting, lifts, or other common facilities. These are small business connections.

Your home is eligible for the residential low user price category if:

  • You are a domestic consumer and the connection is your principal place of residence that uses less than 9,000 kWh per year e.g. this does not apply to baches or holiday houses.
  • Note: this excludes things like a small domestic pump, garage, or shed that are part of your home, where they have their own separate ICP.

Business customers:

Business customers incur fixed daily charges based on their connection size; the larger the connection, the higher the fixed charge. This reflects the connection’s ability to draw large instantaneous load from the network, which requires greater investment to support these connections. While the fixed charge is higher, this is offset in comparison with a lower variable (kWh) charge.

Type Connection size Phase and amps
Small general 0 - 15 kVA 1 phase 60 amps or 3 phase 20 amps
Medium general 16 kVA - 69 kVA 1 phase 60 amps to 3 phase 100 amps
Large general >= 70 kVA > = 3 phase 100 amps

Where a customer requires a connection alteration, they can apply through our online services portal: Orion online services(external link)

Cost reflective pricing

Our pricing is required to be cost-reflective and aligned with the Electricity Authority’s pricing principles to ensure it is fair across all consumer groups. Orion is currently moving towards a higher proportion of delivery revenue from the fixed daily charges.