Proposals to expand the permitted voltage range for electrical supply

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About the consultation

Most homes and businesses connect to the electricity system through low voltage distribution networks. Current regulations require electricity on these networks to be supplied within a range of 6% of 230 Volts. Voltage typically falls when power consumption increases and rises when electricity generation increases.

The demands on low voltage networks are evolving as more homes and businesses invest in distributed energy resources, like rooftop solar photovoltaic panels (solar PV). Solar PV can make valuable contributions to the power system and household bills. However, to keep voltages within the regulated limit, networks may need to either curtail the output from solar PV or invest in significant network upgrades, which will result in higher bills for consumers.

Expanding the regulated voltage range would better align New Zealand with Australia and countries in Europe (depending on the option chosen). The standards for appliances sold in New Zealand already require them to work with a wider range of supply voltage. 

However, there is a risk that allowing higher or lower supply voltage could result in some appliances not performing as designed or having a shorter useful life. The discussion paper seeks feedback on:

• The benefits of expanding the upper or lower voltage limits
• The risks to appliances of expanding the upper or lower voltage limits
• Whether there are any particular appliances that are at higher risk
• If changes to the voltage range should be phased-in
• What are the potential costs of expanding the voltage range
• What other regulations would need updating if the voltage range is expanded.