Counties Energy is your local electricity distribution company and we own and maintain the lines and other power equipment that brings electricity from the national grid to the boundary of your property on our network. We are 100% consumer owned and we give back to our consumers in the form of an annual discount.
Counties Energy Annual Discount 2024
Every year, we give a discount to customers via your retailer because we are 100% consumer owned. Our network region spans southern Auckland to northern Waikato, coast to coast, from southern Papakura to Mercer. We are owned by the Counties Energy Trust where five elected representatives manage the shareholding on behalf of the beneficiaries of the Trust – that is, all consumers who are connected to the Counties Energy network.
The annual discount is here!
To be eligible for this payment you need to have been connected to the Counties Energy network on 1 November 2024. The discount is calculated as a percentage of the network charges at the property from 1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024. This is credited directly to your monthly electricity account, and it will most likely show on your December 2024 or January 2025 power bill.
To check your 2024 discount amount, enter your ICP number which can be found on your power bill. Your ICP number is a 15 digit number and contains two letters such as CN. It will look something like this: 0987654321CN001
Counties Energy does not pay the discount by cash or cheque, it is only available as a credit on your power account from your electricity retailer.
Can’t find your ICP number?
You’ll be able to locate your ICP number on your electricity retailer’s power bill near the line that tells you how much power you used last month.
Annual discount 2024 FAQs
Here, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about how the discount works and how you’ll receive the discount.
What is the Counties Energy annual discount?
How do I qualify for a discount?
To qualify for the annual discount, you:
- Must be legitimately connected, as a customer of an approved retailer, to the Counties Energy electricity network on the discount day (1 November 2024), AND;
- Be the most recent occupant at the residence during the qualifying period (1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024).
How much is the annual discount and how is it calculated?
The amount of annual discount each customer receives depends on the total network charges paid and estimated at the customer’s current address for the relevant period. A customer’s discount entitlement is not affected by a change to or from a retailer.
How will the annual discount be paid?
We will provide an annual discount to power customers who were connected to our network on 1 November 2024, based on network charges over the previous 12 months. If you are eligible for a discount, it will appear as a credit on your December 2024 or January 2025 power bill from your electricity retailer.
Why haven’t I seen the annual discount on my power bill yet?
The annual discount may appear on either your December 2024 or January 2025 power bill from your electricity retailer. If you haven’t seen a discount on a bill from your retailer by February 2025, you should contact your retailer directly.
Can I receive my discount as cash or cheque?
No – the discount has to paid as a credit on the power bill from your electricity retailer. Counties Energy supplies the annual discount to the electricity retailers who will then pass this onto consumers. We are unable to pass on the discount in any other way.
What about prepay customers?
Prepay customers will receive a credit on their Prepay account from their electricity retailer
If I change retailers will my discount eligibility be affected?
No, all customers that were connected to our network on the discount day (1 November 2024) are eligible for a discount regardless of which retailer they have an account with.
If I change addresses will my discount be affected?
The annual discount is paid on the annual network charges and consumption at your current address. It is difficult to calculate the correct discount for customers who move between addresses on our network and this approach is consistent with most other lines companies.
What are the tax implications of the discount?
For most customers, there are no tax implications as the distribution takes the form of a discount, not a dividend.
What if I move out of the area shortly before the discount day?
Unfortunately, if you are no longer a consumer in the Counties Energy network area, you are no longer a beneficiary of the Trust and, therefore, not eligible for the annual discount.
Who do I contact if I have a query about the discount I received?
Please contact Counties Energy by calling 0800 100 202 or emailing us at info@countiesenergy.co.nz. All queries regarding the annual discount should be made by 31 March 2025 as no correspondence will be entered into after this date.
Counties Energy is your electrical distribution company
In New Zealand, electricity is generated by four companies – Genesis, Mercury, Meridian and Contact Energy, who are also referred to as ‘gentailers’ because they are both generators and retailers. Electricity retailers also include companies such as Powershop, Ecotricity and Flick, who bill customers for the amount of electricity they use each month.
Transpower owns and operates the national grid that transmits high voltage electricity from power stations to distribution companies.
Counties Energy is one of 29 electricity distributors, each with its own geographical area that it operates in. We own and maintain the distribution infrastructure that transports electricity from the national grid to homes and businesses in our region.