Privacy notice

The Electricity Rulings Panel (Rulings Panel, we or us) is committed to complying with the Privacy Act 2020 (Privacy Act) in respect of all personal information it holds. Any personal information you provide to us will be held by the Rulings Panel and any third party service providers and used only in accordance with the Privacy Act. This statement is provided for your information and does not limit or exclude your rights under the Privacy Act.

This privacy statement extends to any and all documentation and personal information collected about you and your interactions with the Rulings Panel. This may include information collected about you from others.

The Rulings Panel only collects personal information provided by users voluntarily including receiving information provided to third parties in relation to interactions with us. We protect our information (including your personal information) with all reasonable technical and process controls.

We use third party analytics tools (currently Google Analytics) to collect statistical information about your visit to help us improve the site. The analytical information we collect will be viewable by our website providers, designers and site administrators and certain other staff who need to know it.  

This website generates persistent session cookies for the purpose of monitoring site usage. Persistent cookies allow us to retain information and settings about a user for more than one session. They are stored on your device and will remain, even if the browser is closed, until they expire or are removed. You can disable them or clear them out of the web browser you are using to view this site without affecting your ability to use the site.

Information for compliance and enforcement purposes

Another way the Rulings Panel may collect personal information about an individual consumer is because of an enquiry or complaint to the Electricity Authority or to an electricity retailer and this results in a complaint being taken to the Rulings Panel or someone else complains to the Rulings Panel about a potential breach of the electricity code, regulations or law and that breach involves one or more individual consumers.

Personal information collected during breach allegations and investigations by the Rulings Panel can include ICP number, name, phone recordings, contact details, details on children in an individual consumer’s household, medical or vulnerability status and other information provided to support a complaint; and any other personal information requested by the Rulings Panel. It can be collected across a range of media such as telephone calls, emails, and physical copies of documents.

The Rulings Panel will only use the personal information provided to investigate and decide on a complaint and to share with other parties involved in a complaint. If an individual consumer’s complaint progresses through the Utilities Disputes (the electricity industry disputes resolution service) the Rulings Panel may also share information with them. Only staff who need to access this personal information for their job have access to it. Any decisions that the Rulings Panel releases are anonymised. 

The Rulings Panel may share personal information when it is necessary or desirable to do so with its subcontractors and information system technology vendors. When it does so, the Rulings Panel makes sure that this is done securely.

The Rulings Panel will retain your personal information only for as long as it is required. The Rulings Panel is also subject to the Public Records Act, which may require us to hold that personal information for a longer period.

To ensure your personal information is accurate and current, please notify us of any changes to your personal information as soon as possible. You may request access to, or correction of, any personal information the Rulings Panel holds about you, by contacting the Rulings Panel using the details below. If we refuse to make the correction you seek, you are entitled to ask for a statement of correction to be attached to the uncorrected personal information.

The Privacy Officer
The Rulings Panel
PO Box 10041
Wellington 6143
New Zealand
Email: chair@electricityrulingspanel.nz