Retailers bundle up all their costs, including those for Powerco''s distribution services, and then prepare monthly invoices for individual customers. All retailers are charged the same price by Powerco, and retailers have responsibility for deciding the final price that is charged to their customers.

Generally speaking, a typical $100 electricity invoice is made up of:

• $36 to the company that generates the power. The power generation comes from hydro stations, or from gas or thermal stations owned by companies such as Trustpower, Meridian and Genesis.
• $22 to the retailer that sells you the electricity. Retailers such as Trustpower, Meridian and Genesis own the actual electricity that flows through the overhead and underground electricity lines, and they sell it to the end-user.
• $12 to Transpower, which delivers it from the generator to the national grid.
• $30 to Powerco, which delivers it from the national grid to your home or business. We own the electricity lines that transport the electricity from Transpower's bulk supply points to your home or business. We are responsible for ensuring continuity of supply during interruptions from storms or traffic accidents. We are also responsible for safety and for minimising the environmental impact of our service.

For full details about the prices that Powerco charges to all retailers, please refer to our pricing disclosures.

To find out which energy retailer would be best for you we recommend you visit the following website which is run by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and has up-to-date information about energy pricing:

www.powerswitch.co.nz  

More detailed information on electricity prices across New Zealand is available from the Ministry of Economic Development website at the following address:

http://www.med.govt.nz/templates/ContentTopicSummary____21313.aspx 

The main energy retailers operating on Powerco's networks are:

www.contactenergy.co.nz

www.egas.co.nz

www.energydirectnz.co.nz

www.energyonline.co.nz

www.genesisenergy.co.nz

www.mercury.co.nz

www.meridanenergy.co.nz

www.bopenergy.co.nz

www.toddenergy.co.nz

www.trustpower.co.nz