---
title: "PF026 · Captured AI answers"
publisher: "Onsomble Limited"
publication: "NZBrands.ai"
edition: 2
collected_on: "2026-10-12"
html_url: "https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/14f33e0d-24ab-42c3-86c1-3e8de5c63bd1/"
---

# PF026 · Captured AI answers

Edition 2 · answers collected 12 October 2026.

[Read on NZBrands.ai](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/questions/14f33e0d-24ab-42c3-86c1-3e8de5c63bd1/)

## Question

We own a home with a mortgage, have school-age children and rely on two wages. After mortgage payments, rates, power and groceries, there is little buffer. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties have credible plans for electricity prices and supply?

Question ID: 14f33e0d-24ab-42c3-86c1-3e8de5c63bd1. Report reference: PF026.

Issue: Fuel and energy. Voter: Working household under mortgage pressure.

[Source record (JSON)](https://nzbrands.ai/data/nz-election-2026/editions/2/answers/14f33e0d-24ab-42c3-86c1-3e8de5c63bd1.json)

## How to read this evidence

The answers below are shown as the assistants gave them, not a verified account or NZBrands.ai voting advice. They may contain errors or outdated claims. A recorded source association is not necessarily a link shown to the reader.

Captured 12 October 2026. 4 answers were saved for this question. Missing answers have not been filled in.

[Study methodology and limitations](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/2/method.md)

## ChatGPT · asked nationally

Answer ID: 289b315c-a113-472c-ade9-20c1c887a7bd. Captured 12 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

For a household like yours — a mortgage, school-age children, two incomes and very little left after essential bills — I would judge electricity policies by three practical questions:

1. Will they put downward pressure on power bills? Not just promise cheaper electricity, but explain how households will pay less.
2. Will they keep electricity reliable and available? New Zealand needs enough generation and backup capacity when hydro lakes are low, demand peaks or renewable output falls.
3. Will their plan work over the long term? The best policy should help prevent future price shocks without simply shifting costs onto taxpayers, future bills or other households.

For the 2026 New Zealand general election, I would distinguish between parties with a credible plan to change how electricity is generated and sold, parties offering targeted help with bills, and parties relying mainly on the existing market to deliver more supply.

One important caveat: a party promising lower power prices is not necessarily offering the strongest plan. Electricity prices also depend on gas availability, hydro storage, new generation investment, transmission and distribution charges, and the weather. A government can influence these factors, but it cannot guarantee that wholesale prices will always fall.

## The strongest electricity-policy contenders

Based on the parties' published policies available as of 11 October 2026, these are the main approaches I would compare. This is an assessment of the electricity policies, not an endorsement of a party overall.

## 1. National Party

Best fit if you favour market competition and faster investment

National's October 2026 plan, Electrify NZ 2.0, is unusually specific on supply, network costs and dry-year security. It proposes:

- More wind, solar and other generation, with streamlined consenting.
- Competitive backup-power contracts and regular auctions to help address shortages during dry years.
- A review of electricity lines charges and faster, more competitive connections.
- A Home Energy Fund offering low-interest, long-term loans for household energy investments.
- Letting households with solar or batteries sell surplus electricity to whichever retailer offers the best deal.
- Making affordability an explicit objective for the Electricity Authority.

Why it is credible: The plan addresses several real constraints at once: generation investment, backup supply, network costs and retail competition. The dry-year proposals are particularly relevant to security of supply.

What to watch: Many benefits depend on future investment, regulatory changes and competition actually reducing costs. The plan does not guarantee an immediate reduction in your power bill. [Affordable power Kiwis can rely on](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/electrify-nz-2)[Affordable power Kiwis can rely on](https://www.national.org.nz/news/261002-simeonbrown)

Policy: [National's Electrify NZ 2.0](https://www.national.org.nz/policies/electrify-nz-2)

## 2. New Zealand Labour Party

Best fit if you prioritise household assistance and wider consumer protections

Labour's most concrete household measure is SolarSaver, a $160 million package announced in July 2026. It includes:

- Subsidies of up to $3,000 to help eligible households with the upfront cost of solar.
- Government-backed, low-interest finance options.
- A $30 million community battery fund.
- Support for solar installation and training.

Labour also says it would ban price gouging by companies with significant market power, including in essential services such as energy.

Why it is credible: Removing the upfront cost barrier and developing community batteries could help more households access cheaper electricity, rather than reserving solar for homeowners with savings available.

What to watch: Solar is not equally suitable for every roof or household. Savings depend on installation costs, daytime electricity use, export rates and finance repayments. A broad price-gouging law also needs workable rules and enforcement to produce results. The announced measures are more immediately relevant to household access than a comprehensive plan for winter and dry-year supply. [Labour wants solar 'for all' with $160m policy aimed at power bills](https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/08/labour-wants-solar-for-all-with-160m-policy-aimed-at-power-bills/)[Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy)

Policy: [Labour's 2026 policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/our-policies/)

## 3. ACT New Zealand

Best fit if you favour private investment, competition and less regulatory friction

ACT's September 2026 electricity policy has substantial detail on how new supply and network infrastructure could be delivered:

- Allowing private investors to build transmission infrastructure connected to the national grid.
- Letting qualified contractors compete for eligible electricity connection work.
- Giving households greater freedom to sell solar electricity to competing buyers.
- Requiring lines companies to justify major upgrades against alternatives such as batteries and demand management.
- Retaining the major generator-retailers while strengthening competition rules.

Why it is credible: It identifies practical barriers to new investment and connection, and proposes specific changes rather than simply promising cheaper power.

What to watch: More competition and investment do not necessarily translate into lower household bills quickly. ACT's approach relies heavily on market incentives and private investment; it offers less direct protection from high bills for a household that cannot afford solar or shift its electricity use. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/abundant-electricity-will-ease-cost-of-living)[ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/abundant-and-affordable-electricity)

Policy: [ACT's Abundant and Affordable Electricity](https://www.act.org.nz/abundant-and-affordable-electricity)

## 4. Green Party

Best fit if you prioritise public ownership, renewable energy and structural reform

The Greens' 2026 manifesto argues that the current electricity market puts corporate profits ahead of households. Its energy programme centres on affordable renewable electricity, greater public benefit from energy resources and a more active government role.

Why it is credible: A focus on renewable generation, storage and the structure of the electricity market addresses long-term affordability and dependence on fuel that can become scarce or expensive.

What to watch: Assess the detailed financing, delivery timetable and firm backup capacity carefully. Renewable energy can be cheap to generate, but a reliable system also needs sufficient storage, flexible generation and networks when the weather is unfavourable. Structural market reform can carry transition risks.

I would compare the Greens' detailed energy proposals with National's dry-year arrangements and ACT's investment approach before deciding which has the stronger supply plan. [Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)[Election 2026: Political polarisation on energy and climate, except solar](https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/election-2026-political-polarisation-energy-and-climate-except-solar)

Policy: [Greens' 2026 manifesto](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)

## 5. New Zealand First

The strongest structural alternative to the current electricity-market model

NZ First proposes splitting the big electricity companies into separate generation and retail businesses. It also proposes a national energy strategy, long-term fixed-price contracts for new generation, and a requirement that new generation's electricity be used first. Its policy would also let households sell solar electricity at the same price they pay to buy it.

Why it is credible: It identifies market concentration and the incentives of companies that both generate and retail electricity as problems worth addressing.

What to watch: Breaking up major companies is a substantial intervention. Its effects on competition, investment, financing and prices are uncertain; the party needs to demonstrate how the replacement market would work and protect investment in new supply. ["Power to the People" - Winston Peters - State of the Nation 2026](https://www.nzfirst.nz/power_to_the_people_sotn_2026)[Election 2026: Political polarisation on energy and climate, except solar](https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/election-2026-political-polarisation-energy-and-climate-except-solar)

Policy: [NZ First's Power to the People proposal](https://www.nzfirst.nz/power_to_the_people_sotn_2026)

## How I would compare them for your household

| What matters most to you | Policies worth examining first |
| --- | --- |
| More reliable supply during dry years and winter peaks | National |
| Help getting solar without a large upfront payment | Labour |
| More private investment and competitive network connections | ACT |
| A bigger public role in electricity and renewable energy | Greens |
| Breaking up the major electricity companies | NZ First |

These are distinctions between policy approaches, not proof that any party will deliver the lowest prices. [Affordable power Kiwis can rely on](https://www.national.org.nz/news/261002-simeonbrown)[Labour wants solar 'for all' with $160m policy aimed at power bills](https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/08/labour-wants-solar-for-all-with-160m-policy-aimed-at-power-bills/)[ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/abundant-electricity-will-ease-cost-of-living)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)["Power to the People" - Winston Peters - State of the Nation 2026](https://www.nzfirst.nz/power_to_the_people_sotn_2026)

## What makes a plan genuinely credible?

I would use four tests when reading the parties' full policies.

1. A believable path to more electricity. Does the policy specify what new generation, storage or backup capacity is needed, and how it will be built and financed?
2. A solution to dry-year risk. New Zealand relies heavily on hydroelectricity. When lake levels are low, backup fuel and available generation become particularly important. A good plan explains how the country will cover those periods.
3. A route from wholesale prices to your bill. Generation costs are only part of the final bill. Ask what the party will do about transmission, local lines charges, retail competition and fixed daily charges.
4. A realistic timeline and funding model. Separate measures that could help in the next year from projects that may take several years. Check who pays: electricity customers, taxpayers, investors or borrowing households.

There is already work underway on competition, off-peak electricity pricing and incentives for households that export power at peak times. The independent Electricity Authority's [Energy Competition Task Force](https://www.ea.govt.nz/projects/all/energy-competition-task-force/) is a useful benchmark for assessing whether campaign promises go beyond existing reforms. [Energy Competition Task Force | Our projects](https://www.ea.govt.nz/projects/all/energy-competition-task-force/)

## My bottom line

If I were narrowing the field specifically on electricity policy, I would start by comparing National, Labour and ACT, because their published proposals offer distinct, concrete mechanisms: more generation and backup supply, household solar assistance, and private investment and competition.

I would then compare the Greens' and NZ First's proposals if you are particularly concerned that the existing market structure itself is contributing to high prices.

The deciding question for your family is not simply which party promises cheaper power. It is which party offers the most convincing combination of lower total household costs, dependable electricity and a realistic way to pay for the changes.

One practical point matters regardless of your vote: you do not need to wait for the election to see whether your own electricity bill could be lower. The Electricity Authority's rules now require large retailers to offer off-peak pricing plans, so comparing your current plan against alternatives may deliver a more immediate benefit than any election promise. Check the [independent Powerswitch comparison service](https://www.powerswitch.org.nz/).

The 2026 general election is scheduled for Saturday 7 November 2026. Before voting, I would check each party's latest policy announcements for changes to funding, eligibility and implementation dates. [2026 Election Q&A](https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2026/09/09/2026-election-qa-science/)[Energy Competition Task Force | Our projects](https://www.ea.govt.nz/projects/all/energy-competition-task-force/)

**End captured answer**

## Gemini · asked nationally

Answer ID: 66f61bc9-65b7-4006-90b4-7a3351f94a6c. Captured 12 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

For households balancing two wages, school-age children, and a tight post-bills buffer, rising electricity prices are a significant cost-of-living pressure. Ahead of the **2026 New Zealand general election**, political parties have sharply contrasting views on how to fix the energy market, boost supply, and lower household bills. 

The major parties approach electricity reform through different mechanisms, varying from market deregulation and household solar schemes to structural market breakups:

---

### 1. National Party (*Electrify NZ 2.0 & Home Energy Fund*)
* **Core Strategy:** Focuses on increasing overall supply, speeding up private investment, and encouraging household-level generation.
* **Key Policies:** 
  * Streamlining consenting and planning restrictions for renewable generation (wind, solar) and grid transmission.
  * Introducing a **Home Energy Fund** to provide long-term, low-interest loans (repaid via council rates) for households to install solar panels, batteries, or insulation.
  * Backing additional security of supply measures, including domestic gas development and an LNG import facility for dry-year hydro backup. 
  * Making "affordability" an explicit statutory objective for the Electricity Authority.
* **Credibility/Trade-offs:** Highly supportive for homeowners wanting to invest in rooftop solar to cut long-term bills. However, critics argue that relying heavily on fossil-fuel backups (like LNG) or private-market builds may not bring immediate relief to spot prices.

### 2. Labour Party (*SolarSaver & Consumer Protections*)
* **Core Strategy:** Direct government support to help households lower their own energy consumption, alongside stronger market regulation.
* **Key Policies:**
  * **SolarSaver:** A $160 million programme offering government-backed finance, targeted subsidies (up to $3,000 for eligible households), plug-in solar options for renters, and community battery funds.
  * Mandating fairer buyback rates from power companies when households export excess solar energy back to the grid.
  * Granting the Commerce Commission stronger powers to crack down on excessive pricing and "price gouging" on essential services.
  * Reinstating the ban on new oil and gas exploration.
* **Credibility/Trade-offs:** Targeted directly at easing upfront costs for lower-to-middle-income households and renters. Critics question whether market interventions and banning new gas exploration could tighten short-term supply constraints during dry winters.

### 3. ACT Party (*Market Competition & Red Tape Reduction*)
* **Core Strategy:** Deregulation and relying on market-led private investment to drive down costs.
* **Key Policies:**
  * Removing regulatory bottlenecks and red tape for small-scale commercial and residential solar.
  * Accelerating battery-services and frequency-markets development.
  * Opening up transmission and distribution connections to boost competition, while supporting near-term LNG backup and restarting exploration to guarantee security.
* **Credibility/Trade-offs:** Favours free-market mechanics over subsidies. While it aims to spur long-term supply through deregulation, it offers fewer immediate financial buffers or direct grants for families struggling with current power bills.

### 4. New Zealand First & The Green Party (*Structural Market Overhauls*)
* **New Zealand First:** Proposes a radical, Telecom-style structural split of the major "gentailers" (the big four companies that both generate electricity and retail it to households) to dismantle corporate market power and curb high bills. 
* **The Green Party:** Advocates for establishing a new publicly owned electricity generator and passing legislation to force the structural separation of generation and retail arms, arguing that gentailers currently profit from artificially inflated spot prices.
* **Credibility/Trade-offs:** These structural overhauls target root-cause market concentration, but critics (and several other parties) warn that breaking up companies is legally complex, costly, and could stall investment when new generation is urgently needed.

---

### Summary for a Two-Wage Household with Limited Buffer
* If you want **immediate, practical assistance to lower your household consumption** (such as solar subsidies or low-interest loan schemes), **Labour** or **National** have the most developed micro-level household packages (SolarSaver vs. Home Energy Fund).
* If you believe high power bills are driven by corporate market abuse and want **systemic structural intervention**, parties like **NZ First** or **The Greens** offer aggressive market breakups, though they carry higher transition uncertainty.
* If you favor **free-market supply expansion and cutting red tape**, **ACT** and **National** lean heavily into deregulating generation pathways.

Are you leaning towards policies that offer direct household support (like solar schemes), or do you prefer broader structural changes to the energy market?

**End captured answer**

## Google AI Mode · asked nationally

Answer ID: 2662920a-fd8f-496f-bddc-ee0f62de0be3. Captured 12 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

Balancing a household budget on two wages with tight margins means power bills are a high-stakes issue. In the 2026 general election, New Zealand's political parties have put forward distinct philosophies and plans for the electricity sector, differing on market structure, state intervention, and how to fast-track generation.

Evaluating which of these plans is "credible" depends largely on whether you believe lower prices come from free-market competition and deregulation, structural market breakups, or direct state-led building and household subsidies.

* * *

**1\. National Party**

 * * **Plan Focus:** _Electrify NZ 2.0_ (a nine-point energy plan) National unveils nine

 * **Approach:** Market-led growth, regulatory easing, and private investment. [Power Compare]

 * **Key Policies:**
 * Streamlining and cutting red tape through Resource Management Act (RMA) reform to speed up new renewable generation projects.
 * Introducing a Home Energy Fund to provide loans for household solar installations.
 * Requiring large-scale new energy consumers (like AI data centres) to source or provide their own firmed power rather than putting pressure on existing grid capacity. [RNZ]

 * **Credibility & Household Impact:** National relies on the premise that increasing total supply and reducing bureaucratic delays for energy developers will naturally put downward pressure on wholesale prices. Critics argue it relies heavily on private sector timing and may not offer immediate relief for families struggling with power bills right now.

 *

**2\. Labour Party**

 * * **Plan Focus:** Household solar support and targeted consumer relief. [Power Compare]

 * **Approach:** Government-backed finance and protections rather than sweeping market re-engineering. [Power Compare]

 * **Key Policies:**
 * _SolarSaver:_ A $160 million, four-year program providing government-backed low-interest finance and targeted subsidies for household/community solar, plug-in solar options for renters, and a $30 million community battery fund.
 * Promoting energy efficiency standards and business/industrial transition support.

 * **Credibility & Household Impact:** Labour’s plan offers tangible, direct pathways to lower baseline household electricity consumption via rooftop solar and community storage. For a tight budget, lowering consumption helps insulate against grid prices, though the upfront transition—even with low-interest loans—requires capital or borrowing capacity that very tight budgets may struggle to absorb. [electrification.co.nz]

 *

**3\. Green Party**

 * * **Plan Focus:** Structural market overhaul and public ownership. [Power Compare]

 * **Approach:** Major state intervention.

 * **Key Policies:**
 * Creating **Kiwipower** , a new publicly owned energy company tasked with investing in renewable generation and dry-year backup capacity.
 * Zero-interest loans covering up to

90

%

of household clean-energy investments (rooftop solar, batteries), alongside a "right to solar" for renters and fair buyback rates from major retailers.
 * Splitting generator-retailers and opposing the proposed LNG import terminal.

 * **Credibility & Household Impact:** The Greens argue the current oligopoly of generator-retailers has failed consumers. Their zero-interest loan scheme is designed to make solar adoption viable for lower-to-middle-income families, potentially cutting bills long-term. However, critics and industry analysts warn that setting up a new state entity and forcing structural breakups involves high implementation costs and might cause short-term market disruption.

 *

**4\. New Zealand First**

 * * **Plan Focus:** Structural separation and fuel security.

 * **Approach:** Breaking up existing corporate structures and backing traditional/strategic fuel reserves.

 * **Key Policies:**
 * Reaffirming proposals to break up major power companies by legally separating electricity generation from retail arms.
 * Heavy investment in domestic energy security, including surveying oil, gas, and geothermal basins, alongside funding strategic fuel reserves.

 * **Credibility & Household Impact:** NZ First contends that separating generation from retail will eliminate perceived anti-competitive behavior and lower retail margins. On the flip side, industry commentators question whether a forced breakup will meaningfully lower prices or simply create massive corporate restructuring costs that trickle down to consumers.

 *

**5\. ACT Party**

 * * **Plan Focus:** Free-market solutions and deregulation.

 * **Approach:** Removing regulatory bottlenecks and minimizing state spending. [Power Compare]

 * **Key Policies:**
 * Aligning with broader right-of-centre views on cutting red tape, opposing heavy-handed market interventions, and encouraging unconstrained private capital to build infrastructure. [Power Compare]

 * **Credibility & Household Impact:** ACT relies entirely on market forces to drive efficiency. While it avoids taxpayer-funded subsidy programs, it offers little direct, immediate relief to lower household power bills for families facing a thin buffer today. [Power Compare]

 *

* * *

**Summary to Help Weigh Your Vote:**

 * * If you believe **more private competition and speedier consenting** will drive down costs, **National** or **ACT** align with that model. [Power Compare]

 * If you want **direct government assistance to put solar on your roof** and lower your household draw from the grid, **Labour** or the **Greens** have structured financial assistance proposals.

 * If you favor **state intervention, breaking up big power companies, or state-owned backup generation** to fix dry-year pricing spikes, look closely at the **Greens** or **NZ First**.

**End captured answer**

## Google AI Overviews · asked nationally

Answer ID: 659baa83-8eb6-480b-bc3d-3d846bb11a1f. Captured 12 October 2026.

**Begin captured answer — shown as given, not verified**

Managing electricity prices and ensuring supply security has become a central battleground for the **November 7, 2026, New Zealand general election**. With household budgets stretched by mortgages and everyday essentials, parties are presenting sharply contrasting strategies to address the cost of power.

Here is how the major political parties plan to tackle electricity prices and supply, grouped by their core approaches.

* * *

1\. Market Supply, Deregulation, & Infrastructure Efficiency

**National** and **ACT** focus on driving prices down by cutting regulatory red tape to speed up renewable energy builds, forcing massive power consumers to be self-sufficient, and targeting infrastructure efficiency.

 * **National Party:** Promising their nine-point **Electrify NZ 2.0** plan.
 * **Data Centre Mandate:** Forces new AI data centres to provide their own "firmed" power generation so they do not drain the national grid and inflate household prices.
 * **Rooftop Solar Integration:** Requires lines companies to approve small-scale solar connections within two working days (with automatic compensation if they delay) and allows households to sell excess power to any retailer.
 * **Regulatory Focus:** Changes the law to make "affordability" a core objective for the Electricity Authority.
 * **Household Support:** Launches a **Home Energy Fund** providing long-term, low-interest loans for household solar, repaid directly through council rates.

 * **ACT New Zealand:** Firmly rejects breaking up major power companies, arguing structural changes kill investor confidence and fail to generate a single new megawatt.
 * **Lines Company Accountability:** Places the onus on lines companies to actively prove they provide consumer value before they can increase charges.
 * **Right to Sell:** Protects a consumer's right to generate and sell excess electricity.

2\. Targeted Household Subsidies & Low-Interest Loans

**Labour** focuses heavily on direct, short-to-medium-term cost relief for low- and middle-income families, alongside funding for community energy projects.

 * **Labour Party:** Campaigning on the **SolarSaver** scheme.
 * **Low-to-Middle Income Subsidy:** Offers a upfront **$3,000 kick-start subsidy** for qualifying families to ease the capital cost of installing solar panels.
 * **Flexible Repayments:** Provides low-interest loans for solar infrastructure that can be paid back either through council rates or directly via your monthly power bills.
 * **Renters & Community:** Proposes a "plug-in" balcony solar rule allowing renters to use portable solar units, alongside a **$30 million community-battery fund**.

3\. Public Ownership & Major Industry Restructuring

The **Greens** and **NZ First** argue that the current market structure is fundamentally broken and that structural intervention is required to stop gentailers (generator-retailers) from making excessive profits.

 * **Green Party:** Believes the private market has failed to protect consumers and build security.
 * **Kiwipower:** Proposes a **$980 million publicly owned generation company** tasked entirely with building renewable projects and fixing the country's "dry-year" hydro-shortage problem.
 * **Zero-Interest Financing:** Offers **0% interest clean-energy loans** for solar and batteries to up to 90% of homeowners.
 * **Insulation Expansion:** Allocates an additional **$970 million to the Warmer Kiwi Homes program** to drive down overall consumption.

 * **New Zealand First:** Focuses heavily on a supply-side fossil fuel boost and structural market rules.
 * **Splitting the "Gentailers":** Proposes a mandatory, Telecom-style split of the big four energy companies, separating their generation arms from their retail units to maximize competition.
 * **Resource Exploration:** Backs a **$1 billion offshore energy-resource survey** to aggressively revive domestic oil and gas exploration to keep electricity baseloads secure and affordable.

* * *

Comparison of Key Approaches

Party| Core Strategy| Consumer/Household Relief| Grid Supply Focus
---|---|---|---
**National**| Deregulation & Market Competition| Low-interest rates-tied solar loans; fast-tracked solar grid export| Block data centres from draining grid; cut RMA red tape for renewables
**Labour**| Household Subsidies| Low-interest solar loans + **$3,000 cash subsidy** for low/middle-income| Partnership with businesses to electrify industrial demand
**Greens**| Public Generation| **Zero-interest** solar/battery loans; Warmer Kiwi Homes expansion| Establish **Kiwipower** (State-owned renewable energy developer)
**ACT**| Market Accountability| Legislation securing rights to sell power; limits on lines charges| Encourage private sector investment by reducing regulatory hurdles
**NZ First**| Industry Breakup| None announced for home solar; relies on market restructuring| Break up the Big Four gentailers; revive gas & oil exploration

How to weigh your choice

 * If you want a plan focused on **reducing regulatory barriers** and pushing large commercial buyers to secure their own power, look at **National or ACT**.

 * If you want **direct financial help** or subsidies to lower your home's power consumption with solar, look at **Labour or the Greens**.

 * If you believe the system needs **radical intervention or a return to exploration** to fix structural pricing flaws, look at **NZ First or the Greens**.

To help narrow down what would bring your family the most relief, are you more interested in **long-term structural changes to power companies** to drive down standard bills, or are you looking for **immediate financial support to install solar/insulation** in your home?

**End captured answer**

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