Home > Home Solar Info > Lines Co's Fees
All lines companies require consent. If you are going to be exporting solar power to their power lines, then they need to know! Most solar installation companies take care of this process for you, but here are the details if you'd like to know.
Lines companies want to make sure that the technical specifications of your system meet their prerequisites.
Lines companies on occasion reject grid connection requests based on the size of the system. Often, this will be resolved by installing a smaller system or installing a zero export device.
Export charges - some lines companies are just starting to bring out a fee for exporting solar to their grid. At this stage the charges they are imposing are minimal and make very little difference to the financial benefit of installing solar power. It is up to the energy retailers to pass this fee on, which many don't.
To find lines companies' application fees and applications forms for each area of New Zealand, please see the list below;
Last updated: 30th May 2022
| Lines Company and Application Page Link | Areas Serviced | Application Fee <10kW | Observation & Testing Under 10kW | GST | Export charges |
| Alpine Energy | Geraldine, Temuka, Pleasant Point, Timaru, Twizel, Waimate | $200 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Aurora | Dunedin, Alexandra, Cromwell, Queenstown, Arrowtown, Wanaka | No fee | No fee | - | Nill |
| Buller Electricity | Westport | $100 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Centralines | Waipawa, Waipukurau | $100 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Counties Power | Auckland (southern Papakura only), Pukekohe | No fee | No fee | - | $0.010 / kWh |
| Eastland Network | Gisborne, Wairoa | $100 - $200* | Fees apply if the distributor has to send qualified personnel to observe the testing and inspection of the distributed generation | ex. | Nill |
| Electra | Foxton, Shannon, Levin, Otaki, Kapiti |
No fee |
No fee | - | Nill |
| Electricity Ashburton | Ashburton | $80 | $60 | inc. | Nill |
| Horizon Energy Distribution |
Kawerau, Murupara, Edgecumbe, Whakatane, Opotiki | $100 - $200* | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| The Lines Company | Otorohanga, Te Kuiti, Mangakino, Taumarunui, Turangi, Ohakune | $100 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| MainPower |
Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs, Oxford, Rangiora, Woodend, Kaiapoi | No fee | MainPower do not offer inspection services | - | Nill |
| Marlborough Lines | Blenheim, Picton | $100 - $200* | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Nelson Electricity | Nelson (CBD) | No fee | Nelson Electricity do not offer inspection services | - | $0.005 |
| Network Tasman | Takaka, Motueka, Nelson (suburbs), Brightwater, Wakefield | $100 - $200* | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Network Waitaki | Oamaru | $115 - $230* | $60 | inc. | Nill |
| Northpower | Whangarei, Dargaville | No fee | No fee | - | $0.01 |
| Orion | Christchurch, Lincoln, Rolleston, Darfield, Leeston | $80 - $200 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| OtagoNet (Managed by PowerNet) | Milton, Balclutha | $115 - $230 | $69 | inc. | Nill |
| The Power Company (Managed by PowerNet) | Gore, Te Anau, Winton, Riverton, Invercargill (outer suburbs) | $115 - $230 | $69 | inc. | Nill |
| Powerco | Coromandel, Whitianga, Tairua, Thames, Whangamata, Paeroa, Waihi, Waihi Beach, Te Aroha, Morrinsville, Matamata, Putaruru, Tokoroa, Katikati, Tauranga, Te Puke, Waitara, New Plymouth, Inglewood, Stratford, Eltham, Opunake, Manaia, Hawera, Patea, Wanganui, Raetihi, Waiouru, Taihape, Marton, Bulls, Feilding, Palmerston North, Pahiatua, Masterton, Carterton, Greytown, Featherston, Martinborough | No fee | No fee | - | Nill |
| PowerNet | Invercargill City, Southland, West Otago, parts of Central Otago and Stewart Island | $115 - $230 | $69 | inc. | Nill |
| Scanpower | Dannevirke, Woodville | $200 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Top Energy | Taipa Bay-Mangonui, Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Russell, Paihia, Kawakawa, Moerewa, Kaikohe | $115 | $69 | inc. | $0.005 |
| Unison Networks | Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Hastings | $100 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Vector | Wellsford, Warkworth, Snells Beach, Helensville, Waiheke Island, Auckland (excluding southern Papakura) | No fee | No fee | - | Nill |
| Waipa Networks | Cambridge, Te Awamutu | $100 - $200* | $60 | ex. | $0.009 |
| WEL Networks | Huntly, Raglan, Hamilton | $100 | No inspection required. | ex. | Nill |
| Wellington Electricity | Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt | $100 | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Westpower | Reefton, Greymouth, Hokitika | $100 - $200* | $60 | ex. | Nill |
| Lines Company | Application Fee 10-100kW |
Application Fee 100kW - 1MW |
Application Fee 1MW + | Observation & Testing Over 10kW but less than 100kW |
Obs & test over 100 kW | GST | Export charges |
| Alpine Energy | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Aurora | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Buller Electricity | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Centralines | $500 | $1,00 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Counties Power | No fee | No fee | No fee | No fee | No fee | - | $0.010 / kWh |
| Eastland Network | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Electra | No fee | No fee | No fee | $120 | $1,200 | - | Nill |
| Electricity Ashburton | $250 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | inc. | Nill |
| Horizon Energy Distribution |
$500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | up to $350 | up to $350 | ex. | Nill |
| The Lines Company | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| MainPower |
A fee may be required on a case by case basis | A fee may be required on a case by case basis | A fee may be required on a case by case basis | MainPower do not offer inspection services | MainPower do not offer inspection services | - | Nill |
| Marlborough Lines | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Nelson Electricity | No fee | No fee | No fee | Nelson Electricity do not offer inspection services | Nelson Electricity do not offer inspection services | - | $0.005 |
| Network Tasman | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Network Waitaki | $500 | $1,115 | $5,750 | $138 | $1,380 | inc. | Nill |
| Northpower | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | No fee | No fee | - | $0.01 |
| Orion | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| OtagoNet (Managed by PowerNet) | $575 | $1,150 | $5,750 | $138 | $1,380 | inc. | Nill |
| The Power Company (Managed by PowerNet) | $575 | $1,150 | $5,750 | $138 | $1,380 | inc. | Nill |
| Powerco | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| PowerNet | $575 | $1,150 | $5,750 | $138 | $1,380 | inc. | Nill |
| Scanpower | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Top Energy | $575 | $1,150 | $5,750 | $138 | $138 | inc. | $0.005 |
| Unison Networks | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Vector | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | - | Nill |
| Waipa Networks | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | $0.009 |
| WEL Networks | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Wellington Electricity | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
| Westpower | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $120 | $1,200 | ex. | Nill |
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