TrustPower is challenging notions Central Otago residents are forced to pay more for electricity than others, citing statistics which indicate the average household power consumption in the district is less than in many other areas throughout New Zealand.
This month disgruntled residents lobbied the Government for cheaper power prices, claiming a long cold winter, the recession, and increasing electricity costs have left many unable to pay monthly power bills.
TrustPower statistics show 99 Central Otago residential monthly power bills were not paid by the due date so far this year.
In July 0.09% of customers were disconnected after failing to pay bills, having received offers of payment arrangements and disconnection notices.
To date this year less than 1% have been disconnected.
TrustPower community relations manager Graeme Purches said it was a myth Central Otago consumers used more power because of climate, and that those in the district paid more for their electricity than other New Zealanders.
Mr Purches said Central Otago customers may use more power than those in some other regions during four or five months of the year, but they used significantly less for the rest of the year, and less overall on an average annual basis.
"If all consumers in all regions used the same amount of electricity, Central Otago consumers would still pay less than those elsewhere in Otago, the West Coast, Buller, Marlborough, Rotorua, Tauranga, and not much more than those in Nelson.
"The only regions where actual delivered electricity costs are significantly cheaper than Central Otago are those where there is greater customer density, making line charges cheaper because of lower capital and maintenance costs," he said.
Central Otago Mayor Malcolm Macpherson said average figures were neither interesting nor useful, because it was what happened at the extremes which was of concern.
"The few hundred or maybe more, who are struggling is what's important, not how we rate compared to the rest of New Zealand.
"The fact that people are able to pay doesn't mean they're not worried about what they're paying," he said.
More residential customers in Central Otago are with TrustPower than any other electricity retail company.
The company has 13,638 clients in the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts - 9100 of whom are residential consumers in Central Otago.
In 2008 the district's TrustPower clients failed to pay 169 power bills on time, while in 2007 the same figure was 117.
