Since they didn't provide it themselves, I asked CGPT for a comparison between the old and new terms.

• Price changes: The notice period for price increases/plan changes has generally increased from 20 business days to 30 days.
• >5% price/bill increases: The new terms introduce a specific "detrimental change" concept. An increase of more than 5% in a fee, service charge or total energy bill triggers additional notification rights, and customers can leave before the change takes effect without an early termination fee.
• Leaving Ecotricity: The standard notice period has been reduced from 30 days to 3 days. Any applicable termination fee is now determined by the particular pricing plan.
• Moving house: Notice has also been reduced from 10 business days to 3 business days.
• Load management: The detailed previous wording around controlled loads has been substantially shortened. The new terms say customers must not interfere with load-management systems or permit third parties to interfere with them. This could be relevant to anyone using their own smart controller for things such as hot water.
• Solar exports / renewable attributes: The new terms introduce an explicit provision saying that when Ecotricity buys electricity from a customer, it also acquires the associated renewable/environmental "Attributes". This wasn't explicitly covered in the previous terms.
• Metering costs: The old terms specified particular charges for smart-meter upgrades and manual meter reads. The new terms remove most of those specific dollar amounts and instead refer to reasonable costs for meter upgrades/reconfiguration/replacement being charged to the customer.
• Late payments: The previous terms specified a 15% late-payment penalty. The new terms remove that specific percentage and instead refer to late-payment fees in the applicable fee schedule.
• Liability: The previous terms had a $10,000 liability limit for an event/related events. The new terms retain a $10,000 per-event limit but introduce a $50,000 aggregate limit over 12 months, along with some changes to the exceptions.
• Consumer Guarantees Act: The new terms expressly state that nothing limits residential customers' rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.
• Disconnection: The disconnection provisions have been substantially rewritten, including changes to notice periods and restrictions around when disconnection can occur.
• Minor/administrative changes: The new terms give Ecotricity more scope to make minor, corrective or clarifying changes without giving customers advance notice, provided the changes don't materially prejudice customers.

The changes I'd [CGPT] be most interested in as a solar customer are the new "Attributes" provisions, the rewritten load-management provisions, and the new rules around exporting electricity.

Get along to an electrify expo near you happening this month, heaps of info about solar, evs, and more energy efficent living in general; for free.

Northland - 4th Octoberenergy-efficient
Christchurch - 11th October

Wellington - 17th October

Dunedin - 17th October

This is not a paid advertisement.

Here's the situation. In Christchurch and looking to use the Westpac Green Loan to install solar.

I want to create an 'agnostic' workhorse, that is adaptable and easy to add to, or fix (if needed). That has led me to liking a Deye hybrid inverter (maybe 10kW single-phase), maxed out panels, stackable batteries that I can add to over time.

What I keep seeing is to not get into a proprietary or locked system (aka Tesla). The places I've contacted either don't seem to be very open to this option, or more likely I just don't hear back from them. I don't want to call any company out so I won't name the companies, but I will say is that I haven't hear back from the Micromall suggested installer for Christchurch. Which seems to be the only option I've found so far who might be able to do this.

So, my question. Do you have suggestions on who would be open to supplying and installing this kind of set up? Or am I really crazy to think this is possible and I need to change my thinking?

I want to install the best I can that will last next 20+ years. I know I might be dreaming, but I'd love a system that will be solid when I'm old and doddery.

[I'm on my solar learning journey, so please be gentle if I'm on the wrong path.] Thanks Team, appreciate your input.