Navigating the Consumer Care Obligations: How New Zealand utilities can achieve compassion and compliance

The utilities sector in Aotearoa is at a turning point. With the introduction of the new Consumer Care Obligations by the Electricity Authority and increasing scrutiny around how vulnerable customers are treated, the expectations for service providers have never been higher.

For leaders in the sector – whether you’re a Community Engagement Manager, Credit and Collections Head, or a Customer Hardship Officer – the new obligations are not just another compliance requirement. They signal a deeper evolution: one where social accountability is just as important as operational efficiency.

Understanding the guidelines: More than box-ticking

The Consumer Care Obligations were introduced to ensure that electricity retailers treat all customers fairly, especially those experiencing hardship. They emphasise proactive support, meaningful engagement, and transparency – moving beyond traditional reactive support, which can often appear like a box-ticking obligation to consumers.

Utilities are now expected to:

• Identify and support vulnerable customers earlier
• Provide tailored payment solutions and hardship programs
• Minimise disconnections, particularly where health and wellbeing could be affected
• Report on care and hardship-related outcomes

While many providers already have support programmes in place, the new guidelines demand system-wide cultural and process changes. Compliance isn’t just about having a hardship team, it’s about empowering every customer-facing role to act in alignment with the principles of care, dignity, and fairness.

Key challenge

One of the key challenges in meeting the new guidelines is visibility: How do you know which customers a struggling before they fall into obvious debt or crisis?

Early indicators such as a late payment or a sudden reduction in energy consumption (possible self-rationing) are ideal opportunities to offer proactive support. You could also build digital self-disclosure options into your journey for new customers, or at the point of energy bills increasing, or as a check-in before winter…

It’s not about replacing your hardship programme. It’s about amplifying its effectiveness.

This is where digital platforms like TellJO can give your team superpowers.  

For example:

• After one of the early indicators mentioned above, TellJO sends a wellbeing check to ask the customer if they are okay, and to check in on their mental health, employment status and whether they’re experiencing financial stress, or housing insecurity for example.
• These insights are then shared with your customer care or hardship teams (with the customer’s full consent), enabling them to provide the right support at the right time. The customer is also sent personalised signposts to third party support organisations relevant to them.
• Meanwhile, your compliance and reporting teams benefit from improved data that supports transparent tracking of outcomes.

What this means for customer care teams

The customers who need it will have access to your customer support initiatives sooner and before their situation worsens. You’ll have access to detailed consent-given customer vulnerability data to ensure you can create positive outcomes for customers. You’ll also be able to identify any gaps in your support, for example if a large portion of customers are struggling with gambling or addiction, you may be able to partner with other organisations to help them get back on their feet.

What this means for credit and collections teams

This kind of proactive, data-driven engagement is a game-changer. It turns reactive collections communications into opportunities for early intervention and connection. Allowing teams to create truly affordable payment plans. With our UK energy sector clients, we’ve found digital wellbeing checks are 5x more likely to result in a payment arrangement than a traditional collections SMS. Plus, you’re fully compliant with the Customer Care Obligations.  

Final thoughts

Complying with the Consumer Care Obligations is an opportunity for New Zealand utilities to lead with innovation and integrity.

Providers that embed care into their operations and back it with the right tools, won’t just meet their regulatory obligations. They’ll build trust, reduce long-term debt, and improve their reputation in the communities they serve. Because in the end, compliance is about more than ticking boxes. It’s about being part of a more compassionate, equitable future for all New Zealanders.

Platforms like TellJO support this vision by enabling proactive care that’s measurable and scalable. We’ve delivered up to 1900% ROI for utilities suppliers through increased arrears repayments. After completing a wellbeing check users feel on average 8.6 out of 10 better.

See what we could do for you. Email dominic.maxwell@telljo.org or contact us here.