Genesis Energy Terms and Conditions

Genesis Energy terms and conditions effective on 1 September 2009.

1 INTRODUCTION
These are the terms of your relationship with Genesis Energy.
In remaining, or becoming, a Genesis Energy customer, you and Genesis Energy agree to these terms and conditions, unless agreed otherwise in writing.
These terms and conditions are a legally binding document between us.
These terms and conditions are effective from 1 September 2009. However, if you are an existing Genesis Energy customer on 1 September 2009, these terms and conditions will apply to you from 1 October 2009. These terms and conditions replace any previous agreement(s) we have with you.

These terms and conditions apply to both electricity and reticulated gas supplied to you by us. Separate terms and conditions apply to the supply of bottled LPG.
Where we have used words in bold in these terms and conditions, they have a special meaning and are defined at the end of these terms and conditions.

If you wish to contact us, please:

write to us at:

Genesis Energy
Private Bag 3131
Waikato Mail Centre
Hamilton 3240

or fax us on 0800 110 999
or email us at info@genesisenergy.co.nz
or call our Customer Care Team on:
0800 300 400 if you are a residential customer; or
0800 600 900 if you are a business customer.

2 HOW DO YOU BECOME A GENESIS ENERGY CUSTOMER?
To apply to become a customer you can:

complete a Customer Application Form, available from our website; or
email us via our website, at the email address set out above; or
call us on the relevant number set out above; or
fax us on the number set out above.

We will respond to your application within 2 business days from receipt of your application. Before accepting you as a customer, we need to check that you meet our acceptance criteria. You can obtain a copy of our acceptance criteria here.

An agreement between you and us is formed on these terms and conditions:

when we accept your application to join us; or
when you first use energy supplied by us after you have received notice that we have accepted you as a customer and that these are the terms and conditions on which we are prepared to supply energy to you;

and, in either case, the agreement shall apply from the date on which you first use energy supplied by us, and you will be liable to pay our charges from that date.

If you have moved to premises and started using energy, you will still need to call us to become a customer. If you do not contact us to become a customer, we will disconnect the property. We may also charge you a disconnection fee, the cost of any energy consumed, and any other costs we incur as a result of you consuming energy at the premises.

What information do we need from you?
To become a customer you will need to provide us with some personal information. We may use this information for a number of purposes, including:

confirming your identity;
supplying you with energy and any other products or services you have requested;
administering your account;
credit checking and debt collection;
improving our customer service, including monitoring and following up queries and complaints;
developing and/or improving products and services;
informing you or contacting you regarding our products, brands, special offers, publications and other promotions we think you may be interested in;
carrying out our responsibilities under the Guideline on arrangements to assist low income and vulnerable consumers, including discussing your account with Work and Income, District Health Boards, private health providers or any other social agency or service provider as necessary under the Guideline. A copy of this Guideline can be found on the Electricity Commission's website, click here.

We may also request information (including credit information) from relevant third parties such as credit reference agencies and other energy retailers as part of our credit criteria.
If any of your personal information changes (including your contact details) please tell us, and we will update your account information.

What do we do with your personal information?
Any personal information you give us (other than meter reading information) is strictly confidential and will be kept secure and held by us in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993. View Our privacy policy here. That policy outlines how we deal with your personal information. You can access your personal information held by us on request and correct it if it is wrong.

Can more than one person be a customer?
If more than one person is the customer at any premises, these terms will apply to each of you jointly and severally. This means that each of you may individually be responsible for paying our entire invoice, and that everyone who wishes to become a customer will have to contact us.
You may nominate a person to make decisions for you under these terms. However, you are still responsible as a customer.

What if you have unpaid invoices?
As a customer you will be responsible for paying all fees and charges and for making sure the requirements of this agreement are met.
You agree that we may add any of your unpaid invoices with us from other premises to your next invoice for energy used at your new premises. The amount owing must be paid in accordance with the terms of your previous account, unless we agree otherwise, but a default in payment of your previous account may be treated by us as a default under this agreement.
Please note that if you, or another person at your premises, have any unpaid invoices with us, we may refuse to supply energy to your premises or accept you as a customer until that invoice has been paid.

3 IS A BOND REQUIRED?
In some cases, we may ask you for a cash bond and/or a satisfactory credit check before you become our customer and we supply energy or other services. If this is the case we will tell you when you become our customer and we will give you reasons for our decision.
Any bond for electricity-only customers or for gas-only customers will not exceed $150. If we supply you with both electricity and gas, your bond will not exceed $200. We will not pay interest on the bond. The bond will be held in trust on your behalf in a separate account. We may also ask you for a bond if you are unable to establish a satisfactory credit record or maintain a satisfactory payment record with us.
If we ask you for a bond, you must pay the bond at the same time as you are due to pay the first invoice we send you after we ask you for a bond.
We will repay your bond within one month of:

you maintaining a satisfactory payment record for at least 12 months; or
terminating our supply of energy to you;

whichever is earlier.
We will repay your bond, less any amounts you owe us, by:

crediting your account with us;
sending you a cheque; or
paying you by direct credit to your nominated bank account.

If we keep your bond for longer than one year, we will explain why.

4 WHAT IF YOU’RE MOVING HOUSE?
If you move house you must:

let us complete a final meter reading at your old premises (a charge applies) or let us take a final meter reading remotely if an advanced meter has been installed at your old premises (a charge may apply) or, at our discretion, provide us with a final reading over the phone or via our website; and
give us at least three business days’ notice of your move and your new address so we can send you a final invoice.

If the final meter reading provided by you does not match your rate of consumption we may ask for a final meter reading to be carried out by an approved meter reader, or take a final meter reading remotely if an advanced meter has been installed, and we may adjust your final invoice accordingly. If this is the case we will endeavour to contact you at the phone number you have provided us.
If we agree to supply energy to your new premises, these terms and conditions will apply to your new premises.

What if you’re moving out but others are staying?
If you leave your premises (e.g. if you move from a flat but your flatmates are staying on) and your name is on the energy account, it’s important to tell us that you are terminating your account with us, and if necessary make arrangements to transfer it to someone else. If you wish to transfer your account to someone else at the premises, we will need to speak to that person(s) and accept them as our customer before the account can be transferred. If you remain the account holder and energy is consumed at the premises after you leave, you will remain liable to us.

What if you have a new connection, an altered connection or a reconnection?
For safety reasons, if you have a new or altered gas or electricity connection, or if your supply has been disconnected, we may require you to provide a certificate of compliance or certificate of verification from a certified service provider before we can supply you with energy. We may also request a copy of this certificate at any time.

5 WILL THE SUPPLY OF ENERGY BE CONTINUOUS?
Circumstances or events beyond our control (including the events specified in section 17 below) may cause supply to be interrupted from time to time. For example, the network company may shut down all or part of its network or the meter company may interrupt supply for maintenance or improving the reliability of supply.
We will give you at least 4 days’ notice of any planned shutdowns, provided the meter company or network company, whichever is responsible for the planned shutdown, gives us sufficient notice to do so.
The network may also be affected by a storm, high winds, third party interference like a car accident or for other reasons. We cannot give warning or notice of sudden, unplanned shutdowns or outages.
If you have sensitive equipment or property which may be affected by an interrupted supply, we strongly recommend that you protect that equipment or property in case of an unplanned shutdown or outage. See also section 22 below on sensitive equipment.
If you have a controlled load pricing option, i.e. a price plan that allows Genesis Energy to either directly, or via a third party, remotely control the supply of energy to some or all equipment in your premises, some of your electrical appliances (e.g. hot water cylinders and night store heaters) will be switched off or adjusted as agreed from time to time. Controlled load periods will be limited to those set out in our price list and we will respond to controlled load system faults in accordance with our normal practices, after you have advised us of the problem.
In the event of a local or national energy shortage, or in circumstances of extreme wholesale prices, your energy supply may be rationed or restricted. Energy may also be rationed as part of an energy industry rationing plan.

6 METERS AND METER READINGS
We will read the meter(s) at your premises on a regular basis and, as long as we have access, we plan to read the meter(s) at least once every two months, unless we both agree otherwise.
You can provide us with additional meter readings here or by calling us.
We can decide whether or not to accept your readings. If we do not accept your readings, we may carry out a special meter reading within 5 days. If it turns out your reading was accurate, we will not charge you for the cost of our special meter reading. If your reading was inaccurate, we may charge you for the cost of our special meter reading.

What if you are a new customer?
If you are a new customer, we will use the previous final meter reading at the premises as your initial meter reading, unless you read the meter before using any energy and advise us of that meter reading within one business day of you moving in. If your meter reading differs from the previous final meter reading at the premises, we may arrange for the meter to be read and we will use that reading as your initial meter reading.
Alternatively, if an advanced meter has been installed at your premises, we may, in our discretion, take an initial meter reading remotely and any such reading will be conclusive evidence of the initial meter reading from the date you become our customer.

What if the meter is faulty?
We may arrange to have the meter at your premises tested if we think it is faulty or if you tell us that you think it is faulty.
We will test the meter within 5 business days if you ask us to.
If we test a meter we will inform you of the results of the test on request and if:

it is faulty and you had no part in causing the fault, we will replace or repair the meter at our, or the metering company's, cost; and
it is not faulty and you requested the test, we may charge you our costs for testing the meter, provided that we informed you of any extra charge you might incur if we did test your meter prior to undertaking this work.

We will inform you prior to taking any action on your meter which may impact on your invoices or result in an extra charge.
Our obligation to inform you under this section 6 does not apply where:

there is a safety issue;
the meter is fast, slow or has stopped; or
we have reasonable cause to suspect that fraud, theft or meter tampering has taken place.

You must notify us immediately if you become aware that the meter or related equipment are damaged, defective or look unsafe.

What do we do with meter reading information?
You agree that we own all meter reading information.
To the extent that any meter reading information constitutes "personal information" for the purposes of the Privacy Act 1993, we will ensure that that meter reading information is held by us in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993 and our privacy policy.
You consent to us:

receiving and collecting meter reading information in respect of you and your premises;
storing meter reading information in respect of you and your premises in a way that is referenced back to you individually, or your premises;
using meter reading information in respect of you and your premises for any other purpose, including, without limitation, for the purposes outlined in section 2 and to invoice you accurately for your energy usage; and
disclosing meter reading information in respect of you and your premises to third parties.

You may not sell, assign or provide any meter reading information to any third party without our prior written consent.

Advanced meters
We may, at any time, replace the meter at your premises with an advanced meter. You agree that you will not object to us, or prevent us from, replacing your meter with an advanced meter.

What if an advanced meter cannot be installed at your premises?
If an advanced meter cannot be installed at your premises because the wiring at your premises does not comply with any applicable laws, regulations, codes or standards, or because the advanced meter would, when installed, represent a safety hazard, we may require you to fix, remedy or repair the wiring or safety hazard at your cost before an advanced meter is installed at your premises.
We may also require you to provide a certificate of compliance from a certified service provider at your cost before the advanced meter is installed. We may also request a copy of this certificate at any time.
If an advanced meter cannot be installed at your premises because of communication difficulties, we will discuss the available options with you.

Will there be manual meter readings with advanced meters?
If an advanced meter has been installed at your premises, we may still need to read your meter manually in some situations (e.g. if the advanced meter is faulty or if there have been failures in the metering communications network).

What if I miss an appointment?
If we or a meter company make an appointment with you to install, connect, test, inspect, maintain, repair, replace, alter, service, clean, disconnect or remove any metering equipment, and you miss the agreed appointment, we may pass on to you any charges we incur as a result of you missing the appointment.

7 WHAT ACCESS DO YOU NEED TO PROVIDE?
You must:

provide safe and unobstructed access to metering equipment, the metering equipment of any other person and any equipment of the network company on your premises between 8.00am and 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays;
provide immediate access to your premises at any time for safety reasons or to prevent serious damage to property or the environment;
allow access for installation, connection, testing, inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement, alteration, servicing, cleaning, disconnection or removal of any equipment owned by us and/or a meter company or network company;
ensure that any dog or other animal that may make entry unsafe is secured to enable safe and easy access;
keep us informed about any health and safety and/or Resource Management Act 1991 requirements or issues at your premises that could be relevant to our representatives or the representatives of a meter company or a network company when they visit your premises;
keep your trees and other vegetation regularly trimmed to a safe distance from any lines, pipes, substations, meters or equipment, to comply with the Electricity Regulations 1997 in relation to any work near lines, the network or other electrical equipment, and the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003. If you do not, you will be liable for the costs of carrying out such work or any other costs arising as a result of your non-compliance; and
if requested by us, turn off the energy at your premises to enable access for the purposes referred to above.

For more information on energy safety matters, contact the Energy Safety Service or the network company.
Any representatives of a meter company or the network company requesting access to your premises should carry identification. If they are unable or unwilling to show you their identification, you should not give them access.

What if we have problems gaining access to your premises?
If you are not able to grant us access, please contact us to discuss alternative access options.
If you do not provide access, we may disconnect your supply.

What if we can't read the meter?
If we have been unable to obtain a reading from the meter for any reason, the amount of energy you have used may be estimated by us and you will be charged on the basis of our estimate. You can, however, provide us with a meter reading via our website or by calling us.

What if we hold keys to your premises?
If we have a key or security information to enable us to gain access to your premises, we will be responsible for its safe keeping and will use it only for the purposes described.

What if you wish to turn off your electricity at the mains?
Switching off your energy at the mains affects our ability to read your meter remotely. You should only switch off your energy at the mains for essential maintenance or in the case of an emergency. If you wish to turn off your energy at the mains for longer than a week, you should contact us so we can explain how to turn off the energy at the meter.

8 HOW WILL WE INVOICE YOU?
We will send you an invoice for payment on a monthly basis unless we have agreed otherwise. Your invoice will be delivered to the address provided by you.
Your invoice will show:

a breakdown of the energy charges into gas and electricity (if you are supplied with both by us);
the fixed charge component (if any) of your invoice;
any charges for goods or services you have asked us to provide other than energy and lines services; and
a clear due date.

Our charges for energy consumption will be based on either an actual meter reading or an estimate of the energy consumed. Any estimate will be based on previous consumption if available or will be determined by following generally accepted industry practices and it will be clearly stated on your invoice if an estimate is used.
You must pay the total amount shown on each invoice (including GST) by the due date specified on the invoice, whether the invoice is based on an actual or estimated meter reading. You may not deduct or set off any amount from the amount shown on the invoice.

What if you have a dispute?
If you dispute any amount payable under an invoice, you must give us notice at least 3 business days prior to the due date of the invoice, identifying the amount in dispute, and giving full reasons for the dispute. We will investigate your dispute as quickly as possible.
If you dispute the amount on your invoice, or any part of your invoice, you must still pay the undisputed amount by the due date.
We will not stop supplying you with energy if there is a genuine dispute between us in relation to an invoice. Within 10 days of resolving any dispute about your invoice, we will credit your account with any amount we owe you, or you will pay us any amount you owe us, unless agreed otherwise.

What if you don't pay?
We will try to help you in making payment arrangements with us, but if you do not pay amounts due to us, we may disconnect or limit your supply and you may incur fees for disconnection and debt collection.
Any costs incurred in collecting money owing to us by you, including bank fees, credit agency fees and legal and court costs, are payable by you.
If you are having difficulties in paying your invoice to us because you are a low income customer or a vulnerable customer, you may arrange for payment alternatives. Please call our Customer Care Team to discuss alternative payment methods.
If you are a vulnerable customer we will not disconnect your energy supply unless all assistance with payment has been given under section 14 of this agreement. We will not disconnect you if you have notified us you have equipment for critical medical support.

What if your invoice is based on an estimate?
If your invoice is based on our estimate of your energy consumption, you may still pay for the exact amount of energy you have used by reading your own meter and advising us of your meter reading. We will send you a new invoice based on this meter reading (unless we believe it is not correct), and you agree to pay the amount shown on that new invoice.

What if your invoice is wrong?
If your invoice is incorrect, you are only liable to pay the correct amount and we will refund any amount that we have over-charged, or you will pay any amount that we have under-charged. This does not apply where your invoice is based on an estimate of your energy consumption, as an adjustment will be made automatically in the next invoice based on an actual meter reading. In any event, you will be responsible for the payment of all of the energy you use.

Is interest payable?
No interest is due on any amounts over-paid or under-paid by you or us in relation to incorrect or late invoices.

Payment if meter is faulty
If your meter is faulty, we may not be able to tell for certain how much energy has actually been used. Therefore:

subject to section 23, you will be liable, in relation to the variable rate component of your price plan, for the quantity measured by the meter, unless you contributed to the fault, or could have reasonably been expected to know about the fault. In addition, you will still be liable for the fixed daily rate component of your price plan; and
if it is apparent that your meter has measured more energy than you actually used and you have over-paid us, we will refund to you an amount we reasonably believe is a realistic estimate of the over-payment.

9 WHAT FEES AND CHARGES WILL YOU PAY?
You must pay the fees and charges set out in the Genesis Energy price list based on the energy you consume and the services you use unless we have agreed otherwise in writing. These fees and charges may change from time to time.
We may also require you to pay other fees for services provided to you which are not shown on our price list. Please call our Customer Care Team, or check here, for a copy of our most recent price list.

10 HOW DO YOU PAY YOUR INVOICE?
You may pay your invoice by any of the methods described in the welcome pack sent to you when you became our customer, as updated from time to time on our website. If you would like to receive further details, please call our Customer Care Team.

11 WHEN WILL WE DISCONNECT YOUR SUPPLY?
In addition to our and the network company's other rights of disconnection under this agreement, your energy supply may be disconnected:

for non payment of the undisputed portion of any invoice associated with the supply of energy, lines services or other services supplied to you; or
if you breach any other term of this agreement.

If an advanced meter has been installed at your premises, we may disconnect your supply of energy remotely.
We may also terminate this agreement at our discretion.
In the event that we terminate this agreement at our discretion, we will give you at least 30 days prior notice in writing sent to the last address you have given us.

Will we tell you about disconnecting your supply?
Except in the case of emergencies or where we suspect the metering equipment or other equipment at your premises supplied by us or a network company or meter company has been tampered or interfered with, we will try to tell you at least 7 days (and allow a further 3 days for delivery of the notice) before we disconnect your supply of energy. We will also try to contact you, at the contact details provided by you, to provide you with a final warning at least 24 hours prior to disconnecting your supply. If disconnection is not prevented by you and not completed within the timeframe notified to you, we will issue you with another final warning no less than 24 hours, or not more than 7 days, before disconnection. We may ask you to pay a disconnection fee in respect of the action taken by us under this section.
We will not disconnect your supply for non-payment of a disputed amount where you have initiated a dispute with the Electricity & Gas Complaints Commission in relation to that disputed amount, unless the dispute resolution processes have been exhausted.
We will only disconnect your supply for non-payment of an invoice based on an estimate if it is fair and reasonable in the circumstances to do so.
Your energy supply may also be disconnected without notice for safety reasons.

Can the network company also disconnect your supply?
The network company is entitled to disconnect your supply if:

you fail to grant the rights of access specified in this agreement;
your equipment does not meet the network company's requirements;
requested to do so by us;
it considers your equipment to be unsafe; or
you breach any other term of this agreement including the network requirements, and you agree that in respect of your electricity supply, section 62 of the Electricity Act 1992 shall not apply in respect of such disconnection.

12 HOW DO YOU RESUME SUPPLY?
When you want to start your energy supply again, please call us. Before we agree to reconnect your energy supply we may require you to:

be present at time of reconnection;
pay all outstanding amounts;
pay a bond;
pay a reconnection fee;
turn off all appliances at your premises;
install a prepay meter; or
agree to a payment plan or any other reasonable requirements.

Where you have met these requirements we will arrange to reconnect your energy supply as soon as possible.

If an advanced meter has been installed at your premises, we may reconnect your energy supply remotely.

You will be responsible for any liability suffered or incurred by you as a result of us reconnecting the energy supply at your premises.

13 WHAT IF YOU WANT TO STOP YOUR SUPPLY?
If you no longer want us to supply you with energy or you want your supply disconnected, you must let us know at least 3 business days beforehand. If you intend to leave your present premises, you must also tell us your forwarding address.
If you don’t give us 3 business days' notice you will be required to pay for any energy used at the premises while the premises remain connected to the network, even if you are no longer at the premises.
If you are not going to remain our customer after your move, our charges to you will stop on the date you have given us notice in accordance with this section, or if you have failed to give us notice, when we disconnect the premises, or a new customer has taken over the premises.

What if you want to stop receiving gas but not electricity, or vice versa?
If you have been receiving both electricity and gas from us and no longer want us to supply you with one of them, you must let us know 3 business days beforehand. Our charges to you for the terminated supply will stop on the date we stop supplying you.
If the gas supply at your premises is disconnected (but not decommissioned), we may still charge you a daily fixed charge for gas. However, we will not charge you a daily fixed charge for gas if the gas supply at your premises has been decommissioned.

Will a final meter reading be taken?
We will arrange for a final meter reading and we will send a final invoice to you at your forwarding address. We may ask you to pay a final meter reading fee.

14 CONTACTING WORK AND INCOME AND NOMINATED PERSON
You are a vulnerable customer if you have told us, or it appears to us, that disconnection of energy at your premises presents a clear threat to the health or well-being of you or a member of your household, or if you have mains powered equipment for critical medical support. This could be because of age, health or disability. You can inform us at any time if you are or become a vulnerable customer.
If:

for any reason we form the honest belief that you are a vulnerable customer; and
you do not make regular bill payments and your supply is at risk of disconnection; and
we have provided you with all the assistance we are reasonably able to; and
you are still unable to make your payments,

you authorise us to consult with Work and Income, District Health Boards, private health providers or any other social agency or service provider as necessary.
We may also maintain your information on a register of vulnerable customers. If, after we have informed you of the opportunity to notify us that you are a vulnerable customer, you have not told us, or it does not appear to us, that you are a vulnerable customer, we will assume that you are not a vulnerable customer.

If you are not a vulnerable customer, you can still agree that we consult with Work and Income, District Health Boards, private health providers or any other social agency or service provider if:
you do not pay your invoices regularly and your supply is at risk of disconnection; and
we have provided you with all the assistance we are reasonably able to; and
you are still unable to make your payments.
If you have nominated a person with whom we can discuss the details of your account under section 2, we may also discuss financial assistance with that person.

15 OUR PERFORMANCE COMMITMENTS
We will supply energy to your premises at quality and reliability levels in accordance with current laws including, but not limited to, the Electricity Act 1992, the Gas Act 1992 and the Electricity Governance Regulations and Rules and technical electricity and gas codes of practice.

What if you think that we have not met our performance commitments?
If you think that we have failed to meet our performance commitments, you can make a complaint. We will respond to any complaints and will seek to resolve them in accordance with section 16 below.

16 WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT?
Genesis Energy is a member of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme and will deal with any complaints you have in relation to your energy supply in accordance with the requirements of the Scheme.
If you have a complaint, please contact our Customer Care Team. Our contact details are set out in section 1, or alternatively you can make an appointment to see us at our offices.

We will try to resolve your complaint straight away. If it is complex, or involves other parties, such as your network company, our Customer Resolutions Team will investigate it for you. We may also refer it to your network company or meter company. If we do this, we will tell you.
In any event, we will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 2 business days after we receive your complaint.
If we can't resolve your complaint straight away, we will give you a response within 7 business days after we receive your complaint.
If:

you are not happy with the way we propose to resolve your complaint;
we have not resolved your complaint within 20 business days after receiving the complaint and we have not written to you explaining why we need further time to resolve your complaint; or
we have not resolved your complaint within 40 business days after receiving your complaint,

you may refer your complaint to the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission to resolve (www.egcomplaints.co.nz or 0800 22 33 40). You may also refer your complaint to the Disputes Tribunal or the Court.

17 WHAT IS GENESIS ENERGY’S LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE?
What will we be liable for?
We will not be liable to you (in contract, tort or otherwise) for any loss or damage you may suffer unless that loss or damage is direct loss of or damage to your physical property and it occurs due to:

our breach of this agreement; or
our negligence;

and the loss or damage is:

reasonably foreseeable and is directly caused by our breach or our negligence; and
is not caused by something beyond our control,

but we will not be liable in any cases for any other loss or damage including indirect or consequential losses, loss of profits or revenue, or similar.

What is an event beyond our control?
An event or cause beyond our control includes, but is not limited to: acts of God, war, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, accident, earthquake, fire, lightning, storm, flood or other similar event, interference with the network from birds, animals or vegetation, traffic accidents, faults in the network, acts or omissions by the network company or meter company, problems with generation, transmission or distribution of energy, problems with your wiring, problems arising because of health and safety hazards at your premises, and other things which we do not have control over.

What is our maximum liability?
If we are liable to you, the maximum amount we will pay as compensation for your loss is $10,000 in respect of any event or series of closely related events. We may choose to replace any damaged property or goods, up to the same maximum amount, instead of paying cash.
We are not required to honour this agreement in circumstances where an event has occurred which is beyond our control and which prevents us from doing the things we would normally do. We will carry on honouring our obligations as soon as it is reasonably practicable for us to do so.
If you acquire goods or services from us for personal, domestic or household use or consumption, any rights you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 are not affected by our limitations of liability. However, if you acquire goods or services from us for the purposes of a business, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 does not apply.
Our limitations of liability extend to our employees and agents for the purposes of the Contracts (Privity) Act 1982.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this agreement, nothing in this agreement will exclude or limit the application of any law in New Zealand where such law applies to the supply of energy, or any other services we supply, to the extent that to do so would:

contravene that law; or
cause any part of this section 17 to be void.

18 CAN WE CHANGE THIS AGREEMENT?
We may make changes to this agreement, the network requirements, your payment methods, or our price list. If we make changes to this agreement, the network requirements, your payment methods, or if we increase the energy prices set out in our price list, we will give 30 days' notice of the changes, together with our reasons for making the changes. We will do this by any reasonable method of communication including by:

advertising in a local daily newspaper; or
posting a notice on our website (www.genesisenergy.co.nz); or
writing to you; or
emailing you; or
notifying you by other electronic means,
or by a combination of these methods.

If we increase the other fees or charges set out in our price list we will notify you of these changes by advertising on our website or placing a statement on your invoice. We do not need to give you notice if we decrease your energy prices or the fees and charges set out in our price list.
If we increase your energy prices by more than 5%, or change the frequency of billing or meter reading, we will always give you an individual written notice. If there has been an increase in your energy prices, the notice will explain the reasons for the increase.

19 CAN YOU TRANSFER YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES?
This agreement may not be transferred or assigned by you to any other person.
We may transfer to someone else all or any part of our rights and responsibilities under this agreement. We may also sub-contract or delegate our responsibilities under this agreement to other people or companies.

20 HOW WILL WE CONTACT YOU?
Except as otherwise provided in this agreement, our invoices or notices to you will be:

delivered to your premises; or
mailed to the most recent postal address you have given us; or
emailed to the most recent email address you have given us, posted on our internet billing system or sent to you by electronic means (where you have agreed to receive your invoices in this manner).

All notices sent to you will be considered to have been received by you:

on the day it was delivered to the address to which you asked us to send notices; or
3 days after being posted by us to the postal address you provided to us; or
the day after it was transmitted to the email address or fax number you provided to us; or
on the day after it was published on our website, or the notice appeared in your local newspaper.

21 GETTING OUR ENERGY TO YOU
The network companies and meter companies we work with require us to ensure that the information contained below is agreed to by you. When you become our customer, you agree to those arrangements as part of this agreement.
The network company owns and operates the network which transports energy to your premises. We will make arrangements with the network company to use the network and get our energy to you.

Do you need an agreement with the network company?
In some cases, the network company may require you to have an agreement directly with it to use the network. If this is the case, we will provide you with the contact details of the network company, and:

you must ensure that you have such an agreement; and
our agreement will cover the supply of energy only.

You agree to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements and the network company's distribution code or other similar connection standards (a copy of the code or standards may be obtained from the network company).
You must also comply with the network company's technical requirements and specifications for connection to the network which are published from time to time.

Interference with the network
You must not, without the prior written consent of the local network company:

attempt to send or receive signals or other forms of communication through the network;
connect or re-connect your equipment directly to the network; or
interfere in any other way with the network.

You must not, without our prior written consent, connect or modify any fittings or other equipment on your premises to enable any electricity generated on the premises to be conveyed through the network.

Some technical requirements relating to electricity
In relation to your electricity supply, you agree that:

the power factor shall not be less than 0.95 lagging each month;
there is to be no interconnection at any time between your point of supply and any other point of supply without the network company's prior written consent;
if the characteristics of your equipment or demand interferes with the quality of supply of energy to any other consumer on the network or interferes with the operation of any remote signalling services or other fittings of the network company, you will, upon notice from the network company or us, remedy the interference at your own cost as soon as practicable (and in any event within 20 business days of the date of the notice). If we become liable to any third party as a result of such interference, you must compensate us to the full extent of such liability and for all associated costs incurred by us;
you will use all reasonable measures to ensure that the levels of harmonic voltages and currents injected back into the network from your premises conform with the New Zealand Electrical Code of Practice for Harmonic levels NZECP 36:1993 insofar as the harmonic disturbance results from a cause within your control; and
you agree to comply with all line function services, safety and technical requirements provided for under statute, regulations and codes of practice.

22 WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT SENSITIVE EQUIPMENT?

There may be planned or unplanned events which may cause outages or voltage fluctuations which could damage sensitive electrical appliances like computers, televisions, videos, cordless phones, computerised appliances and fridges and freezers. Voltage fluctuations can occur at any time and may be caused by events beyond our control, such as accidents, lightning or high winds or the events listed in section 17 above.

You should consider arranging insurance that covers damage from power fluctuations, install your own back-up devices such as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and / or make other arrangements to protect your equipment or meet your special needs. Power conditioners and surge protectors may help reduce such fluctuations and can be plugged into appliances or wired into your house mains. Further information regarding protection that you may take against outages or voltage fluctuations, and information on high-risk areas, is available by visiting our website.

We take no responsibility for any loss or damage caused to equipment or appliances, including loss of data, arising from these kinds of fluctuations.

23 METERING EQUIPMENT AND NETWORK COMPANY EQUIPMENT
The energy supplied to you will be metered. Different pricing options may require separate meters.
We, or the metering company, will retain all ownership rights in any meter and metering equipment installed at your premises.
If you do not have a suitable meter for your energy use or pricing option we will choose and arrange to install the appropriate meter. You may not provide or install your own meter.
You must pay all costs relating to the installation of any metering equipment. However, you will not be charged:

for the installation of the first advanced meter at your premises, unless additional work is required to install the meter or metering equipment (this includes additional wiring required to install the meter or work required to re-locate the position of the metering equipment) in which case we may charge you for this additional work;
where we decide to replace meters or related equipment if the existing meters or related equipment are suitable for your energy use or pricing option.

In some cases it may be necessary to upgrade your meter if your energy use or pricing option changes. We may charge you the costs of installing a new meter. We will inform you if any upgrade is required and the costs of that upgrade.

How should you deal with equipment at your premises?
You must ensure that any metering equipment which is supplied by us or a meter company, and any equipment of the network company:

is not removed from its location without our consent;
is not encumbered or used as security in any way;
is not, and does not, become a fixture or fitting of the premises; and
is not switched off other than in accordance with the final paragraph of section 7 above.

You agree:

to provide us, the meter company and network company with reasonable space for the safe, secure and accessible housing of the metering equipment and the equipment of the network company at no cost to us; and
to look after the meter and prevent interference with, or damage to, or loss of, the metering equipment, the equipment of the network company, and the metering communications network.

If you do not own your premises, you confirm that you have any necessary approvals required from the owner, landlord or body corporate for the installation of any meter or metering equipment at your premises, for any alterations to your premises required to install any such equipment and to enable us to exercise our other rights under these terms and conditions. You will bear any costs incurred by us, the meter company or our respective contractors if you do not have any such approval.

What if the meter is damaged?
You must tell us immediately if:

any metering equipment or any equipment of the network company on your premises is damaged, defective, or looks unsafe; or
you discover any fault with, or interference with, any metering equipment, the metering communication network or any equipment of the network company on your premises.

You agree to co-operate in good faith with any investigations by us or the meter company in respect of interference with any metering equipment on your premises. If we and/or the metering company's investigations identify that the interference was caused by you, you agree to pay our and/or the metering company's reasonable expenses of the investigation on demand.
If we believe on reasonable grounds that you have:

damaged, tampered or interfered with any metering equipment or any equipment of the network company;
deliberately taken advantage of the fact that the meter was inaccurate or not working properly;
caused any loss or damage to us, a meter company, any of our other contractors, or the network company; or
allowed anyone else to do so;

you will be responsible for the resulting loss, damage or costs suffered.
We may also:

immediately disconnect, either temporarily or permanently, your supply;
estimate the value of energy stolen or lost and require you to pay for that energy;
charge you for the costs of any repairs and/or replacement of metering equipment;
terminate this agreement and refuse to reconnect your supply; and/or
inform the Police.

24 WHAT ABOUT OTHER EQUIPMENT AT YOUR PREMISES?
We, or a meter company, will repair and maintain meters and associated equipment supplied by us or a meter company, except as outlined below.

What equipment are you responsible for?
You must repair and maintain:

your electricity and/or gas lines, pipes or cables (including any poles and fittings) from the point of supply;
the meter box or meter board itself, any sub or fuse board and any other wiring or piping on your premises; and
any electrical and/or gas appliances and equipment not included above,

and if any of this equipment looks unsafe, you should contact your own electrician and/or gas fitter (as appropriate) immediately.
You own and are responsible for energy supplied from your point of supply to the point where the energy is consumed. You must not supply energy to another property or person from your premises.
You must not interfere with the network company's equipment or allow anyone else to do so.
Your rights and obligations in relation to trees are set out in the Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003. For more information, please contact your network company. If you do not know how to contact your network company, please ask us.

25 WHAT IS THE NETWORK COMPANY'S LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE?
If the network company causes you loss or damage, you may wish to advise us.
If the network company is not a member of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme, then you agree that the network company has no liability to you (including liability in contract or in negligence) relating to the supply of energy to your premises. However, the network company has agreed to be liable to us in certain instances.
As explained in section 21, we contract with the network company to deliver energy to your premises. To achieve a better quality and reliability of service from you, we encourage the network company to give service guarantees. As these guarantees are for your benefit, we will pass on to you, as a credit in your next invoice from us, any payments we receive from the network company (less our reasonable administrative costs) for a failure by the network company to satisfy any guarantees they may give us in relation to their services. Other than paying you such amount, we will have no liability to you in respect of any defaults by the network company.
If the network company is a member of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme then the network company will not be liable to you (in contract or in negligence) for any loss or damage you may suffer unless that loss or damage is physical damage to property where it can be shown that the network company has been negligent and the amount and nature of the loss was reasonably foreseeable. The network company will not have any liability to you, whether in contract or in negligence, for an event or series of closely related events relating to the network for any amount exceeding $10,000 in value. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the network company's aggregate liability to all customers connected to its network for an event or series of closely related events relating to the network shall not exceed $10,000.
If you acquire goods or services from us or the network company for personal, domestic or household use or consumption, any rights you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 are not affected by this limitation of liability. However, if you acquire goods or services for the purposes of a business, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 does not apply to the services provided by us or the network company to the maximum extent permitted by the law.
This condition, and the other conditions in this agreement which refer to the network company, are intended to be for the benefit of, and are enforceable by, the network company under the Contracts (Privity) Act 1982.

26 WHAT IS THE METER COMPANY'S LIABILITY FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE?
If you do not have a direct agreement with your meter company, then the meter company has no liability, to the extent permitted by law, (in contract and in tort) in respect of the supply of energy to you under this agreement. This condition, and the other conditions in this agreement which refer to the meter company, are intended to be for the benefit of, and are enforceable by, the meter company under the Contracts (Privity) Act 1982.

27 WORDS WE USE IN THIS AGREEMENT
advanced meter means a remotely read interval meter and all associated metering equipment.

decommission means the permanent disconnection of your premises and removal of your ICP so that you cannot receive the supply of energy, and will involve the permanent removal of metering equipment and may include removal of your service lines.

disconnection and disconnected means the isolation of your premises from the network. Your premises remain connected to the network but you cannot receive supply of energy.

energy means electricity and/or reticulated gas, but does not include LPG or bottled gas.

Genesis Energy, we, us and our means Genesis Power Limited, its agents, successors and assignees, trading as "Genesis Energy".

lines services means the provision and maintenance of works for the conveyance of electricity and the operation of such works, including the control of voltage.

meter company means the company or companies that own the meter situated on your premises and/or are responsible for installing, maintaining, repairing and reading meters.

meter reading information means all information and data collected, measured or stored by any metering equipment.

metering equipment and meter means the metering and other equipment which is used to measure and/or provide information about your consumption (and, if appropriate, demand) of energy, including any covering or housing for such equipment, and meters, loggers, communication devices, relays, current transformers, voltage transformers and any other equipment required to measure energy usage, and includes an advanced meter and the metering communications network.

metering communications network means the equipment and systems used to convey meter reading information from a meter to us.

network means the electricity and/or gas (as the case may be) distribution network to which your point of supply is connected including the network of overhead lines, underground cables and pipelines, substations and other equipment used to distribute gas or electricity.

network company means the company or organisation that owns the network, and its agents.

network requirements means the rights and responsibilities relating to the network company summarised in these terms and conditions.

point of supply means the point at which we or the network company determine that the network ends and your lines, cables or pipes and fittings and equipment begin.

premises means the property supplied with energy under this agreement.

price list means Genesis Energy's various pricing plans, fees (including special fees) and charges for energy and other services which from time to time apply in your area. Your current relevant price lists are available by calling our Customer Care Team.

vulnerable customer means a customer who has told us, or about whom it appears to us, that disconnection of energy at the customer's premises presents a clear threat to the health or well-being of the customer or a member of the customer's household, or who has mains powered equipment for critical medical support. This could be because of age, health or disability.

you/your means you, the customer.