Consumer Information Campaign To Be Launched

The Government will contribute funding to establish a one stop shop information facility to help consumers find out which
electricity retailing company is offering the best deal in their area, Enterprise and Commerce Minister Max Bradford
announced today.

Mr Bradford said the facility would be operated by a respected independent organisation and should be up and running by
the end of July.

Details would be advertised nationally once negotiations with potential providers were completed.

The information facility would allow consumers to obtain clear, comparative information that was reliable.

Key information is expected to be available to the public in electronic, paper and verbal form at little or no cost, he said.

Mr Bradford said competition would drive down prices but only if consumers exercised their ability to choose.

"This information facility will give them the information they need to exercise that choice. It will help consumers get a better
deal," he said.

Mr Bradford also announced he would be releasing a regional analysis of electricity prices and a comparison of prices now
and before the reforms.

This would show that under the reforms prices had fallen for consumers in main centres and the Bay of Plenty where
competition brought about by the reforms has been fierce.

An analysis released earlier this month had shown that customers supplied by First Electric were better off than they were
before the reforms were announced last year, even after First Electric's recent price announcement.

"The Government's decision to split ECNZ is ensuring strong competition in the wholesale market, to the benefit of
consumers.

"The competitive wholesale electricity market means that prices will be as low as possible throughout 1999 and in the
future.

"Wholesale prices have fallen from about 7 cents per kWh to an average of 2 to 3 cents per kWh since the end of March
when competition began," Mr Bradford said.