Media release – immediate circulation
2 March 2020
TLC Discount to be split in two
Waitomo Energy Service Customer Trust (WESCT) beneficiaries will see a change in the way their discount is paid.
Currently 9,000 beneficiaries of WESCT receive one discount payment each year through their The Lines Company (TLC) bill which is paid prior to Christmas.
WESCT Chair Peter Keeling said this year the discount will be split in two – one at the usual time in December 2020 which will be a nice little bonus for Christmas and then a second smaller one in May 2021 which may help with winter bills.
“The value of the discount depends on how much energy has been used over each period. Lowered prices and splitting the discount payment is of real advantage to people in our community, especially those who find winter bills challenging.
Keeling said this years’ discount should be worth around $3.9 million to the local community. Combined with price changes announced recently by TLC, beneficiaries will benefit by around $6 million during the 2020/2021 year which should be slightly above what the discount was in the last couple of years.
“The Trust is focused on providing high value back to its beneficiaries but it’s also about finding a balance with the other very important obligations the Company has. Trustees know that TLC must keep investing in the network to improve safety and reliability and we support that,” he said.
The pricing schedule published by TLC earlier this month will show the TLC Discount as part of that.