Lines company Unison told to justify latest price hike

The Commerce Commission says it could impose price controls on the Hawkes Bay electricity lines company Unison if it cannot justify its latest line charge hike.

Unison will increase its charges to urban domestic consumers in Napier and Hastings by an average of 23 per cent and to large commercial and industrial users by an average of 40 per cent, from March 1.

The company said it needed the increases to pay for line renewals, cope with growth and to move lines underground.

The latest increases will add almost 10 per cent to the power bills of 55,000 of its customers. The commission also asked Unison to justify a 2002 lines charge price rise.