Electricity
Summary
The ad makes one clear factual claim: "Electricity prices have jumped 20% in just two years." Official Stats NZ CPI data broadly support this: electricity prices rose 8.4% in the year to June 2025 and another 12.0% in the year to June 2026. Compounded, those increases amount to about 21.4% over the two-year period. ([Stats NZ][1])
The claim is broadly correct: Stats NZ figures indicate electricity prices increased by about 21% over the two years to June 2026. The advertised 20% figure is therefore a reasonable rounding of the official data. ([Stats NZ][1])
Score Breakdown
Factual accuracy
Weight: 40%
Context fairness
Weight: 30%
Evidence quality
Weight: 20%
Visual/audio fairness
Weight: 10%
What the ad gets right
- +Stats NZ reports that electricity prices increased 8.4% in the year to the June 2025 quarter. ([Stats NZ][1])
- +Stats NZ reports a further 12.0% annual increase in electricity prices in the year to June 2026. ([Stats NZ][2])
- +Compounding those two official annual increases gives an increase of approximately 21.4% between June 2024 and June 2026, so the ad's rounded 20% claim is broadly accurate.
- +The Electricity Authority independently reported that most households faced average power-bill increases of around 8% in 2026 on top of an approximately 8% increase in the previous year, also confirming a substantial two-year rise. ([Electricity Authority][3])
What the ad gets wrong or leaves out
- −The official CPI figures imply an increase closer to 21% than exactly 20%, although describing this as 20% is a reasonable rounded statement.
- −The ad does not identify its data source or specify the exact two-year period.
- −Electricity-price changes experienced by individual households vary by region, retailer and pricing plan; the Electricity Authority reported considerable variation in 2026 increases. ([Electricity Authority][3])
- −The ad makes no explicit claim about who caused the increase, so responsibility for rising prices should not be inferred from the image alone.
Detailed Verdict
The central claim is strongly supported by official data. Stats NZ figures indicate electricity prices rose approximately 21.4% between June 2024 and June 2026, making the ad's "20% in two years" statement a reasonable rounded description. ([Stats NZ][1])
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