Vector advocates solar for low-income homes; Mercury warns of political tinkering

Fri, 28 Sep 2018

By Gavin Evans Sept. 28 (BusinessDesk) - Tariff changes are unlikely to assist low-income households with energy costs when their usage is structurally higher than that of other users and is also declining more slowly, Vector chief executive Simon Mackenzie says. Energy usage in low socio-economic areas can be 21 percent higher per square-metre than others for a range of factors, including lack of insulation and the types of appliances used. Household usage is also falling three-times slower than in the wealthiest homes. That is a real...

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