Pioneer scheme

If you’re the first customer in an area wanting to connect to our electricity network, your request may fund an extension of the network. In the past, later customers could benefit without contributing to the cost of the extension. 

Based on new Electricity Authority rules, we will offer to establish a pioneer scheme for qualifying connection applications received from 1 April 2026.

If, later, within a specified period, another customer needs to use that extension they will be required to contribute to a rebate for the ‘pioneer’ (the first customer). Subsequent connecting customer/s will be required to contribute, and the ‘pioneer’ customer may receive rebates. 

What this means for you

• If you’re the first to connect you may enter a pioneer agreement with us so you may receive a rebate back if others connect later. 
• If you’re connecting later you may be charged so that you are contributing to earlier shared infrastructure. 

This is designed to make things fairer between early and later connections. 

How it works 

When you receive an offer to connect to our network we’ll tell you about the pioneer scheme if your connection fits the criteria. On payment for the connection work, we'll identify you as the pioneer of the assets involved and if, and when, another customer/s connects to the pioneer assets, we'll recover the rebate payment on your behalf and pass this on to you, provided you have kept us up to date with your details. 

Pioneer schemes are:

• For customer paying more than $50,000 (inflation-adjusted from December 2025 dollar terms) to the cost of connection assets, and Powerco considers it feasible that other parties may seek to connect to all or part of the network extension at a later date
• Unrelated to connections for developments with the purpose of on-selling (like subdivisions)
• Active for a minimum of for seven years

Pioneer Scheme Policy

Read our Pioneer Scheme Policy.