One of the additional costs you might have to pay when installing a grid-connect solar power system is a fee to your local lines company to approve your solar power system exporting power to the grid. Not all lines companies have a charge, lucky for some! Some lines companies will also charge you an observation and testing fee.
Normally your selected solar installation company will fill in the lines companies application forms and will charge the fee to you, rather than you paying the lines company.
I have been through all of the New Zealand lines companies websites and given some of them a call to find out if they have connection fees and whats the price. Please note the fees are for solar power system sizes 10kW or less.
Last updated: 14th April 2021
| Lines Company & The Link To Their DG Page | Areas Serviced | Application Fee | GST | Observation & Testing |
| Alpine Energy | Geraldine, Temuka, Pleasant Point, Timaru, Twizel, Waimate | $200 | ex. | $60 |
| Aurora | Dunedin, Alexandra, Cromwell, Queenstown, Arrowtown, Wanaka | no fee | - | - |
| Buller Electricity | Westport | $100 | ex. | $60 |
| Centralines | Waipawa, Waipukurau | $100 | ex. | $60 |
| Counties Power | Auckland (southern Papakura only), Pukekohe | no fee | - | no fee |
| Eastland Network | Gisborne, Wairoa | $100 | ex. | - |
| Electra | Foxton, Shannon, Levin, Otaki, Kapiti | no fee | no fee | |
| Electricity Ashburton | Ashburton | $80 | inc. | $100 |
| Horizon Energy Distribution | Kawerau, Murupara, Edgecumbe, Whakatane, Opotiki | $200 | ex. | - |
| The Lines Company | Otorohanga, Te Kuiti, Mangakino, Taumarunui, Turangi, Ohakune | $200 | ex. | $105 |
| MainPower | Kaikoura, Hanmer Springs, Oxford, Rangiora, Woodend, Kaiapoi | no fee | - | MainPower do not offer inspection services |
| Marlborough Lines | Blenheim, Picton | $90 | ex. | $60 |
| Nelson Electricity | Nelson (CBD) | no fee | - | - |
| Network Tasman | Takaka, Motueka, Nelson (suburbs), Brightwater, Wakefield | $100-$200 | ex. | $60 |
| Network Waitaki | Oamaru | $115 | inc. | $60 |
| Northpower | Whangarei, Dargaville | no fee | - | |
| Orion | Christchurch, Lincoln, Rolleston, Darfield, Leeston | $92 | inc. | - |
| OtagoNet (Managed by PowerNet) | Milton, Balclutha | $115 | ex. | $69 |
| The Power Company (Managed by PowerNet) | Gore, Te Anau, Winton, Riverton, Invercargill (outer suburbs) | $115 | inc. | $69 |
| 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 |
| PowerNet | Invercargill City, Southland, West Otago, parts of Central Otago and Stewart Island | $115 | inc. | $69 |
| Scanpower | Dannevirke, Woodville | $200 | ex. | $60 |
| Top Energy | Taipa Bay-Mangonui, Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Russell, Paihia, Kawakawa, Moerewa, Kaikohe | $115 | inc. | $69 |
| Unison Networks | Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Hastings | $100 | ex. | $60 |
| Vector | Wellsford, Warkworth, Snells Beach, Helensville, Waiheke Island, Auckland (excluding southern Papakura) | no fee | - | |
| Waipa Networks | Cambridge, Te Awamutu | $200 | inc. | $60 |
| WEL Networks | Huntly, Raglan, Hamilton | $100 | ex. | No inspection required. |
| Wellington Electricity | Wellington, Porirua, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt | $100 | inc. | $60 |
| Westpower | Reefton, Greymouth, Hokitika | $100 | ex. | $60 |
Hi Barney
The fees in this blog are one off payments.
Unison are the only company that are charging the solar tax, which is an annual fee that will effect solar power owners, the extra charge will be between $128 and $258 a year. Unison defend their solar tax as they say solar power system owners are still heavy users of peak electricity demand. This charge doesn't account for solar owners who have low demand at peak times and does not encourage anyone to reduce their peak demand if they can.