Shanks Katrina: Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill — First Reading 
Shanks Katrina: Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:662;Page:10792] 
KATRINA SHANKS (National) 
: 
 I rise to take a call tonight on the Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill. National is voting against the first reading of this bill. We have heard a lot of talk about what smart meters are what they can do and how good they are. Smart meters are good and this Government supports their introduction. But we have to make a distinction between smart meters and advanced meters. In New Zealand we have advanced meters. Smart meters are an emerging type of technology that is still coming into the market still being commercialised and still being put into products that we can use. But in New Zealand we are not quite there. In fact it may not be wise to make regulations and pass legislation to make happen something that is not in existence now and that maybe will change significantly the way it is delivered or as technology changes. There might be a great big shift. If we are going to regulate and enforce something why do we not wait until we have smart meters in New Zealand and see what they look like? 
Although some aspects of metering are regulated under Part D of the Electricity Governance Rules the roll-out of smart meters is still unregulated. However the Electricity Commission issued guidelines in May 2008 that recommended minimum standards for smart meter systems. The guidelines are recommendations only; participants are not required to comply with them. But many many organisations already are gearing up to do so and many are already in that space without being told they have to do it and without having this legislation. 
What does the report say? The Electricity Commission report which is the most recent information we have was reported back to the Minister in December 2009. The commission’s overall recommendation was that it is not necessary to extensively regulate the roll-out of smart meters because the benefits of regulation do not outweigh the costs at this stage. The last thing this country needs is increased electricity prices. The last thing this country needs is another law put in place that will make the costs for those users go up even higher. Now is not the right time for a bill like this. 
What does the bill do? It requires providers of smart meters to offer to consumers before the installation service or upgrade of any domestic smart meter an in-home display unit import and export capability and the choice of particular types of prescribed tariffs. It sets out minimum requirements for smart meters such as that they must include certain components and features that accord with the Electricity Governance Rules the means to control any existing hot water cylinder various other features and crucially home area network functionality not just capability—and there is a difference there. The bill also introduces regulation-making powers for the purposes of assisting domestic consumers. This is already happening in certain areas without this legislation having been passed. 
Some of the reasons why the bill’s provisions are unnecessary are that there is widespread compliance. There are already voluntary guidelines on smart meters. The technical matters contained in the bill are inappropriate for primary legislation and can instead be advanced through rules made by the new electricity authority. Maybe there will be a time and a place for this legislation but the industry is already doing all right on its own. We do not need to interfere at this stage. Thank you.