GUEST BLOG: James Norton – Outrageous conduct of The Lines Company

The conduct of The Lines Company (TLC) with its peak load pricing is an outrage.

Just in time for the minimum wage increase this year it is upping its prices. Average income in Taumarunui is just over $20,000.

TLC sets its monthly lines charge at your peak usage over winter.

TLC claims it’s owned by its customers. It is not. It is owned by its baby boomer customers in Otorohunga and Waitomo.

The customers in Taumarunui are not benificaries of the WECST trust and get nothing back.

TVNZ and Te Karere last week ran a story on TLCs increases.

We have no choice because it’s a monopoly and even if disconnected you still have to pay TLCs line charges.

TLC has appointed  Sutton (ex CEO of Christchurch Rebuild) to undertake a independent review of its pricing model to be released in March 2017.

Commerce Commission has issued a statement stating its position also.

TLC has repeatably exceeded the limits on profits without penelty (see commerce commission statement)

All political partys and MPs have shown absolutely no real interest in our community being destroy by this company.

Even our electorate MP rich lister Ian Mckelvie is more concerned with likening people smugglers to sheep rustlers! And bribeing the local bank manager with a leg of lamb(see his maiden speech)

All of the appointees to the relevant Power/energy/consumer Trusts are Rich White baby boomers and older. No trustees identify as Maori in a community that has a majority of its members identify as Maori.
Why would your readers outside The King Country want to read about The Lines Companys dodgey pricing? Because the government wants to extend the Peak Load Pricing Model to all lines companys throughout NZ.

 

About James Norton
Born and raised in West Auckland. Proud of being a Westie, Despite working full time My wife and I were totally priced out of the Auckland property market. After a search of rural New Zealand we purchased our home in beautiful Taumarunui with the deposit we had saved for a house in Auckland. I am Male, 43 years old, and Pakeha and am totally in love with The King Country and its rivers.