We get it — power bills can be confusing. So, let’s keep it simple.
When you get your bill from Frank Energy, there are a few different parts that make up your total cost. Here’s what each piece means (no fine print, just facts).
⚡ Energy (Generation) – around 32%
This is the cost of buying electricity from the wholesale market — basically, what generators charge for producing the power you use. Prices can change depending on supply and demand across the country.
🔌 Network (Transmission & Distribution) – around 37.5%
These are the costs of building, running, and maintaining the power lines that get electricity from the generator to your home.
Transmission: the big national grid, owned by Transpower.
Distribution: your local lines company, which looks after the poles, wires, and transformers in your area.
Frank doesn’t set these prices — we just pass them on, exactly as they come from Transpower and your regional lines company.
🧾 Retail (Frank Energy) – around 13%
This is what we charge for doing all the admin that keeps the power flowing — things like billing, customer service, and keeping our digital tools humming.
💸 GST – around 13%
That’s the 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST). When you add it across your whole bill, it works out to roughly 13% of the total.
⚙️ Metering & Other Costs – around 4.5%
This covers the cost of reading, maintaining, and replacing your electricity meter.
It also includes a small Electricity Authority Levy, which funds the Electricity Authority’s work to make sure the electricity market stays fair, reliable, and competitive.
👩🏫 A quick recap
Your total bill = Generation + Network + Retail + Metering + GST + Levy
All these parts work together to make sure your lights turn on when you flick the switch — safely, reliably, and fairly priced.
🔍 Want to dig deeper?
If you’d like to learn more about how New Zealand’s electricity market works, check out the Electricity Authority’s guide to understanding your bill.