The signalled price rise is among several key changes announced by the Waitaki Power Trust this week as it works to strategically secure its lines network.
The trust represents over 13,000 households and businesses who own and are connected to the Network Waitaki Ltd network.
Trust chair Doreen Cleave said the price increase of about 20% was to meet growing electricity infrastructure demand in the region.
Mrs Cleave said a key one was a new Grid Exit Point (GXP) in the northern region to connect the trust’s network to the national electricity transmission network administered by Transpower.
"Costs are rising, and Network Waitaki will need to lift prices and borrow funds to maintain and develop the network," she said.
While Network Waitaki had been "debt-free for decades"it would now have to increase its debt loading from $16.5million to a projected $56m by 2028 to pay for upgrades to its lines infrastructure.
"Storms and winds are getting stronger, the sun is getting hotter and that’s causing extra issues for our lines, and they have to be built to a better standard as well," Mrs Cleave said.
The servicing of increased external debt in the next three years would be spread across future generations of energy customers.
Mrs Cleave said Network Waitaki had an annual programme of renewing and replacing critical infrastructure with over $160m of investment planned in the next 10 years.
The new GXP was crucial to increase capacity and ensure "resilience" in the supply network, which was being strengthened elsewhere.
"Recently they've done an awful lot of work around Five Forks to ensure that there's an alternative supply from Oamaru to say Hampden ... if the main line that went through Maheno went out.
"They're ensuring there's a lot of circular infrastructure," she said.
The trust attempted to engage consumers in a survey last December as it sought feedback on a proposed change to the trust deed, and to gauge how it would fund its commitments.
The response had been "very disappointing" with just three submissions despite engaging "a lot of community groups," Mrs Cleave said.
A key change to the deed now provided greater clarity about who is eligible vote in future trust elections by removing the risk of double-voting issues.
The trust has also reset the required timeframe for ownership reviews to be at 10-yearly intervals.
The annual $1m discount distributed to consumers was up for review although "at this stage, we believe receiving a discount from their 100% consumer owned trust is important to our consumers".
