Overview

The Switching Rules enable consumers to choose and alternate efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers.

The current Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 (the Rules) came into effect on 14 September 2015.

The Rules have the purpose of enabling consumers to choose, and alternate, efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers. 

The Rules provide for:

  • the appointment of a Registry Operator;
  • the establishment, population and operation of the registry, which stores key technical parameters about every customer installation and facilitates and monitors each customer switch from initiation through to completion;
  • the management of information held by the registry;
  • a process for switching consumers between retailers;
  • audits of registry participants; and
  • a process for dealing with retailer insolvency

The day to day work that occurs as a result of the Rules and how the Rules are put into operation are found in Current Arrangements. This section also contains the latest switching statistics. 

The Developing Section of this work programme will contain any consultations that Gas Industry Co is currently consulting on. There are no current consultations.

The Background Section contains the original development of the Rules, along with subsequent reviews and amendments and previous consultations.

Current Arrangements

The Switching Rules enable consumers to choose, and alternate efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers. The Switching Rules provide for a centralised database, the Gas Registry, which stores key technical parameters about every customer installation and facilitates and monitors each customer switch from initiation through to completion. This page provides details of the ongoing operation of the Rules, Gas Registry and switching arrangements.

The latest switching statistics as well as previous years' monthly switching statistics can be found here

Key Areas

The purpose of the Switching Rules is to establish a set of gas switching and registry arrangements that will enable consumers to choose, and alternate, efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers. The Rules provide for:

  • the appointment of a Registry Operator. More information on the Registry Operator can be found in Current Arrangements;
  • the establishment, population and operation of the registry;
  • the management of information held by the registry;
  • a process for switching consumers between retailers;
  • audits of registry participants; and
  • a process for dealing with retailer insolvency

The Switching Rules were amended, as part of the Registry Amendments Project, to incorporate additional metering fields into the Registry and to refine the switching process and improve other Registry processes. At the same time, provisions were added to the Switching Rules to ensure the integrity of registry data in the event of a retailer insolvency. Details of the latter arrangements can be found on the Retailer Insolvency page.

The amendments to the Switching Rules took effect on 14 September 2015 following an implementation project and industry-wide data cleansing programme. Further background can be found in Registry Amendments Project and the Registry Amendments Implementation page.

Related Documents

  • Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 in effect from 14 September 2015
    1.2 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

The Switching Rules require Gas Industry Co to appoint a registry operator to establish, maintain and operate the gas registry. Following a competitive tender process in early 2008, Jade Software Corporation (NZ) Limited (Jade) was appointed as the registry operator, to develop and operate the gas registry in accordance with a Development and Establishment Agreement (DEA) and Service Provider Agreement (SPA) respectively.

The SPA commenced on the go live date of the gas registry, 1 March 2009, and continued for a nine year term. Prior to expiry, Gas Industry Co conducted another competitive tender process (run jointly with the Electricity Authority due to the similarity with its registry manager role). The result was the reappointment of Jade under a new SPA beginning 1 March 2018. The DEA and current SPA documents can be found below.

Related Information

Monthly self-review reports

Related Documents

  • Jade Registry Operator DEA - September 2008
    1 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Jade Registry Operator SPA Schedule 3 FS - March 2018
    724 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Jade Registry Operator SPA Schedule 2 NFR - March 2018
    499 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Jade Registry Operator SPA - March 2018
    309 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

The Rules require Gas Industry Co to determine and publish certain information required for the full implementation of the Rules and of the Registry in particular. These determinations are maintained in consultation with Registry Participants and the current version is available by clicking on the link below.

Matariki 

Gas Industry Co has determined that the new public holiday acknowledging Matariki is a non-business day under gas governance rules and regulations.

The Notice of Determination of Non-Business Day by the Industry Body (Gas Industry Co) under Gas Governance Rules and Regulations can be read below.

It provides for this additional non-business day until the rules and regulations are amended to include an explicit reference to Matariki alongside New Zealand’s other statutory holidays.

Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day

Following the passing of the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill on 20 September 2022, Gas Industry Co determines Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day, Monday 26 September 2022, to be a non-business day for the purpose of the Arrangements.

The Notice of Determination of Non-Business Day by the Industry Body (Gas Industry Co) under Gas Governance Rules and Regulations can be read below.

Related Information

Determinations by the Industry Body (Gas Industry Co) under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
Consultation: Revised Determinations under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008

Related Documents

  • Switching Determinations v3.0 - October 2019
    420 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Notice of Determination of Non-Business Day by the Industry Body (Gas Industry Co) under Gas Governance Rules and Regulations
    280 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Determination
    100 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

gas gate change notice form

This form should be used by distributors to provide notice of changes to gas gate information, including:

  • creation of a new gas gate;
  • changes to existing gas gate information; and
  • decommissioning of an existing gas gate.

As required by rule 46 of the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 distributors must provide notice to the industry body, registry operator, allocation agent and all affected retailers at least 20 business days before the effective date.

The form can be found below.

gas registry access application form

This form should be used by industry participants to:

  • update Participant Register information;
  • create/expire Participant and ICP Distributor Codes;
  • create/expire/reset FTP accounts; and
  • create/expire Online Supervisor accounts.

The form can be found below.

Related Documents

  • Gas Registry Access Application Form
    398 KB Word document
  • Gas Gate Change Notice Form
    62 KB Word document

The switching and registry market fees are monthly fees charged to gas retailers that cover the ongoing costs associated with the gas registry and switching arrangements. The ongoing costs are:

  • The costs payable to the Registry Operator
  • The costs of Gas Industry Co associated with the gas registry and its role under the Switching Rules

Market fees are paid by retailers each month based on their ICP market share (number of customers) on the first day of each month.

Gas Industry Co estimates the ongoing costs prior to each financial year, collects market fees in monthly installments throughout the year, and then performs an end of year wash-up once the actual costs are known.

 Ongoing costs for previous years costs are found on the left-hand navigation of this page.

 

Ongoing Costs for FY2024 (1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024)

Cost Category

Estimated Costs

Service Provider – Base Fee

$300,000

Escrow Arrangements

    $5,000

Service Provider - System Development

$150,000

Total Ongoing Costs

$455,000

 

Ongoing Costs for FY2023 (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023)

Cost Category

Estimated Costs

Service Provider – Base Fee

$280,000

Escrow Arrangements

    $5,000

Service Provider - System Development

$150,000

Total Ongoing Costs

$435,000

 

Previous Years

Year

Estimated Costs

Actual Costs

FY2022

$415,000

$357,676

FY2021

$415,000

$310,626

FY2020

$285,000

$257,513

FY2019

$282,000

$254,627

 

Related Information

Previous Market Fees

This dashboard provides an overview of New Zealand’s natural gas market. The information is sourced from the gas registry and it reports on retailer switching and retailer, distributor and meter owner market shares.

To view a larger version of the report click on the double-ended arrow found on the bottom right hand corner of the dashboard.  

Toggle between the pages to view individual reports on:

  • Network snapshot showing information on distribution and meter ownership
  • Retailer statistics
  • Monthly switching statistics
  • Data on the number of times ICPs have switched since the registry began in 2009

Clicking individual data points can filter other visuals. Hold down control to make multiple filter selections.

At the top right corner of each visual you will find a focus button which will allow you to enlarge that specific image. At the top right corner of each filter you will find an eraser  button which you can use to clear your selection.

Historical registry data and switching statistics can be downloaded here.

 

The guidelines below were issued by the Market Administrator to show how it will apply the factors to be taken into account when determining whether alleged breaches raise material issues under the Gas Governance (Compliance) Regulations 2008. These guidelines should assist switching participants in interpreting and applying the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008

Related Documents

  • Market Administrator Guidelines on the Materiality of Breaches - June 2019
    132 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

Transitional exemptions were provided for when the Rules and the Registry first went live. All exemptions expired or were revoked within two years of go live of the Registry and the exemption provisions were removed from the Rules in February 2011.

Consultations on these previous exemptions, now expired or revoked, can be found in the side navigation.

Related Information

Previous Exemptions

Gas Industry Co commissions performance audits of compliance with the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 (Rules). Under rule 95, Gas Industry Co must publish all final audit reports.

The reports published below have been commissioned under the provisions of the Rules. As required by rule 90, the auditors appointed for these audits are independent of Gas Industry Co. These reports represent the work of the individual auditors. Any conclusions reached, or opinions expressed, in the final audit reports are solely the auditors' and do not necessarily reflect the views of Gas Industry Co.

Related Information

Switching Audits - Previous (2016-2018)
Switching Audits - Previous (2019-2023)

Related Documents

  • Contact Energy Retailer Switching Performance Audit January 2024
    1.4 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

Developing

In this section, we would post any consultations that we are currently consulting on.

There are no current consultations in this Work Programme.

Background

The Switching Rules enable consumers to choose, and alternate efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers. The Switching Rules provide for a centralised database, the Gas Registry, which stores key technical parameters about every customer installation and facilitates and monitors each customer switch from initiation through to completion.

Key Areas

The purpose of the Switching Rules is to establish a set of gas switching and registry arrangements that will enable consumers to choose, and alternate, efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers. The Rules provide for:

  • the appointment of a Registry Operator. More information on the Registry Operator can be found on the Operations page;
  • the establishment, population and operation of the registry;
  • the management of information held by the registry;
  • a process for switching consumers between retailers;
  • audits of registry participants; and
  • a process for dealing with retailer insolvency

The Switching Rules were recently amended, as part of the Registry Amendments Project, to incorporate additional metering fields into the Registry and to refine the switching process and improve other Registry processes. At the same time, provisions were added to the Switching Rules to ensure the integrity of registry data in the event of a retailer insolvency. Details of the latter arrangements can be found on the Retailer Insolvency page.

The amendments to the Switching Rules took effect on 14 September 2015 following an implementation project and industry-wide data cleansing programme. For further information refer to the section below on the Registry Amendments Project and to the Registry Amendments Implementation page.

Related Documents

  • Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 in effect from 14 September 2015
    1.2 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

In late 2013, Gas Industry Co called for nominations for an industry working group, the Registry Amendments Project Team (RAPT), to review, and consider changes to, the Switching Rules and the Registry. The project was motivated by recommendations from several audits under the Reconciliation Rules that additional metering information should be added to the Registry. The RAPT discussed this proposal along with a broader list of suggested improvements to the Rules and the Registry.

The outcome was a Statement of Proposal, released by Gas Industry Co in August 2014, followed by a Recommendation to the Minister to amend the Rules released in December 2014. These documents can be found below in Related Documents. The proposed amendments support the purpose of the Rules and the Registry, and in particular seek to:

  • increase the accuracy and efficiency of retailers’ conversion of metered volumes to energy by adding additional metering fields to the Registry;
  • increase oversight of the quality and maintenance of information in the Registry by requiring Registry participants to undergo performance audits;
  • better align switching for dual fuel customers by reducing the maximum timeframe for gas switches from 23 business days to 10 business days; and
  • make minor amendments to the switch process and the ICP life cycle to better reflect the reality of commercial arrangements in the gas market.

The Minister approved the Recommendation in early March 2015 and implementation began in mid-March, with a subsequent go live in mid-September. The six-month implementation project focused on detailed functional design, user acceptance testing of the Registry changes, participants’ testing of their own system enhancements and a simultaneous industry-wide data cleansing project of gas metering data. Further information on the implementation of these amendments can be found on the Registry Amendments Implementation (2014) page.

Related Information

Registry Amendments Implementation (2014)
Statement of Proposal (August 2014)
Registry Amendments Project Team (RAPT)

Related Documents

  • Recommendation to the Minister (including marked-up Switching Rules)
    1.5 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 in effect from 14 September 2015
    1.2 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 in effect from 14 September 2015 (marked-up version)
    1.3 MB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 in effect prior to 14 September 2015
    510 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

On 27 October 2010, Gas Industry Co made a recommendation in respect of minor amendments to the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008. The text of the recommendation is available below, which includes a marked-up amendment to the Rules at Appendix C. The analysis of submissions to the earlier Statement of Proposal is also provided.

Related Information

Statement of Proposal (July 2010)
Discussion Paper (February 2010)
Bertram Report: Private Networks (February 2009)

Related Documents

  • Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 - as at 10 February 2011
    461 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Recommendation to the Associate Minister - October 2010
    606 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file
  • Analysis of Submissions - September 2010
    225 KB Adobe Acrobat PDF file

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