Activist urges Mercury customers give supplier grilling

An electricity-sector activist is urging Mercury Energy power users to attend a public meeting its parent company is holding in Rotorua this week.

While the Whitianga couple who faced a $55,000 electricity bill from Mercury and who might have had an interest in the meeting remain gagged, Domestic Energy Users Network analyst Molly Melhuish says any opportunity to deal publicly with power companies is valuable.

"Any chance to engage with a power company should be taken," said Ms Melhuish.

The board and executive team of Mercury Energy's parent, taxpayer-owned Mighty River Power, will be at Thursday's meeting. The gatherings are required of all state-owned enterprises by the Government in its push for greater transparency.

Mighty River's financial performance will be reviewed and company operations outlined in the formal part of the meeting which was expected to take only 40 minutes. A spokesman said there would then be the opportunity for the public to ask questions.

At the first SOE public meeting, Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder copped a custard pie from environmental activists. The Mighty River spokesman said it was hoped questions on Thursday would focus on performance and operations "rather than disgruntled punters with $55,000 bills" although "anything and everything" would be dealt with.

Gary and Judy Inglis, who own Smitty's Sports Bar and Grill, received the bill after Mercury misread the meter. While the firm dropped the bill after the case was publicised, Judy Inglis said yesterday she could not comment on her case or the meeting for fear the charges could be reinstated.

Ms Melhuish said the company should be questioned on price rises.

After an aggressive drive for new customers last year Mercury has announced it is putting energy prices up by about 3 per cent for its more than 300,000 residential customers across the country.

Mighty River Power last week successfully completed a $100 million bond issue but was warned by ratings agency Standard & Poor's that its credit profile was vulnerable to a possible increase in overseas investments and planned sizeable capital expenditure on new-generation projects.

Ms Melhuish said the meetings could be worthwhile but anyone who became depressed at being bombarded with "company spin" should think twice about going.

Mighty River said it was holding the meeting in Rotorua because the city was the headquarters of its growing geothermal portfolio.

Genesis Energy is holding its first public meeting on March 5, in Hamilton.

HAVE YOUR SAY

What: Mighty River Power meeting.
Where: The Heritage, Rotorua.
When: Thursday at 4pm.
Why: To open up SOE to scrutiny.