Homes with piped or bottled gas are facing increasing prices and fewer choices, as complaints about services doubled in the last year. And it's not just households.
The Whanganui District Council recently doubled the entry fee to its swimming pools and upped cremation fees - with the council's chief executive saying its gas bill had risen by 80 to 90 per cent - 'an $800,000 increase across the board'.
Vegetables NZ recently reported one of its members' gas bill was up 200 per cent in five years.
That sector is now partnering with GNS Science to consider the possibility of geothermal heat to replace gas for greenhouse growing.
Gas New Zealand, which represents the gas industry, is aware of high prices and difficult market conditions.
Its chief executive, Jeffrey Clarke, says there is still a future for gas as a fuel out to 2050 and beyond.
With 600,000 households in New Zealand using gas, Consumer's manager of Powerswitch, Paul Fuge, says the problems are only likely to get worse with gas supply continuing to drop each year and with the burden of paying for the network left to houses that don't switch to electric appliances.
Photo: 123RF
