Regulated open electricity guidance
Regulated open electricity is expected to be the next sector developed under the Consumer Data Right (CDR). The electricity regulations are still being developed, so the detailed requirements for participants are not yet settled.
On this page
I tēnei whārangi
At this stage, guidance is mainly intended to help potential electricity participants and consumers understand what the CDR is, how regulated open electricity is likely to work, and what participation may involve if the sector is designated. It is also intended to support early feedback to MBIE and the Energy Use Policy team on likely implementation impacts, sector readiness, and realistic timeframes.
Because the regulations and standards are still in development, this page focuses on likely scope, likely participant roles, and the areas where early understanding will help the sector prepare and engage constructively.
Regulated open electricity guidance roadmap
The table below sets out the current priority order of guidance topics for regulated open electricity.
Using the roadmap
The roadmap is a planning and transparency tool. It:
- does not set a fixed publication schedule: guidance will be published as it is ready
- may change over time: as regulations are developed and sector engagement continues
- is updated as priorities change: and as the likely implementation approach becomes clearer.
Each roadmap helps participants:
- see what guidance is available: including what is planned, in development, and already published
- understand relative priority: across topics
- see what each topic will cover: so they have a clearer sense of what to expect
- plan ahead: by understanding what guidance is likely to be published and when
- identify gaps: by telling us where additional guidance would be useful.
These topics reflect areas where:
- potential data holders and other electricity participants need early visibility of what regulated open electricity is likely to involve
- the sector may need to understand likely impacts, implementation challenges, and dependencies before regulations are finalised
- MBIE expects early guidance to support more informed feedback on design, timing, and readiness
- consumers and non-specialist readers may benefit from clear explanations of how the framework is expected to apply in electricity.
Guidance topic roadmap for regulated open electricity
This roadmap outlines the main areas where we expect guidance will be useful for regulated open electricity.
Because the regulations are still in development, the initial focus is on helping potential participants understand the likely direction of the CDR and the practical implications it may have for their organisation.
The prioritisation rationale explains why topics are ordered as they are.
1. Consumer Data Right use cases for regulated open electricity
Use cases that inform the development of regulated open electricity
Explaining the main consumer and market scenarios that are expected to shape the initial electricity designation, including the services the CDR is intended to support and the kinds of data access that may be needed to enable them.
How use cases shape future sector development
Explaining that use cases are not just illustrative examples. They help shape the likely focus of regulations, guidance, standards, and implementation planning by showing where consumer benefit, sector readiness, and practical value are expected to emerge first.
Status: Published
Use cases for an electricity sector Consumer Data Right
2. What is the CDR
What the CDR is and why it exists
Explains the purpose of the Consumer Data Right, the role it plays in improving consumer choice and innovation, and how it works across sectors.
How the CDR works in practice
Gives an overview of participant roles, consumer authorisation, customer data, product data, and how regulated services are expected to operate.
What consumers and potential participants need to know now
Helps non-specialist readers understand the core CDR concepts before sector-specific requirements are settled.
Where to find more information
Points readers to the main CDR information and support material.
Status: Published
Consumer Data Right in Aotearoa New Zealand
3. Consumer Data Right standard principles
Why standards matter in the CDR
Explains the role of standards in making the CDR work in practice.
The principles MBIE uses in developing standards
Outlines the key design principles that will guide standards development across sectors, including electricity.
What the principles mean for future electricity participants
Helps potential participants understand the kind of standards approach MBIE is likely to take.
How the standards principles support consistency across sectors
Explains why early visibility of these principles is useful even before electricity-specific standards are developed.
Status: Shared with sector directly, to be published
Prioritisation rationale: Standards principles were prioritised early because they give participants visibility of the approach MBIE expects to take as standards are developed across sectors. This helps future electricity participants understand the likely design direction before electricity-specific standards are available.
4. Understanding the electricity Consumer Data Right framework and likely sector scope
What regulated open electricity is intended to cover
Explains the purpose of the electricity designation, how the CDR framework is expected to apply, and the likely scope of the initial CDR.
Who is likely to be in scope
Clarifies the participants most likely to be affected, including potential data holders and accredited requestors, and the role each may play.
What participation is likely to involve
Provides an early overview of the types of obligations, preparation, and engagement that participation may require.
What remains subject to regulations
Makes clear which aspects of the framework are still being developed and should not yet be treated as settled.
Status: In development
Initial participant guidance while regulations are in development.
Prioritisation rationale: This is prioritised early because potential participants need a practical understanding of what regulated open electricity is likely to cover, who may be affected, and which aspects are still subject to further policy and regulatory decisions. Without this, it is difficult for participants to assess likely impact or provide meaningful feedback.
5. What the CDR may mean for retail electricity participants
Likely obligations for potential data holders
Explains the types of operational, technical, and governance changes electricity participants may need to consider if they are brought into scope.
How participation may affect systems and processes
Highlights likely impacts on data management, consumer interactions, internal controls, and delivery planning.
What early readiness may involve
Helps participants think about the kinds of capability, resources, and internal planning that may be needed ahead of implementation.
Where feedback from participants is most useful
Encourages clear input on likely implementation impacts, constraints, and realistic delivery timeframes.
Status: Pending
Will be developed as regulations and sector design become clearer.
Prioritisation rationale: This is prioritised early because potential data holders and other participants are likely to need an initial understanding of what participation may involve before they can assess internal impacts, identify delivery risks, or plan meaningful engagement with MBIE.
6. Customer data and product data in regulated open electricity
What customer data is likely to be relevant
Explains the kinds of customer and consumption data expected to be most relevant in an electricity CDR context, subject to final regulations.
What product data is likely to be relevant
Explains the kinds of plan, pricing, tariff, and offer information likely to support comparison and switching use cases.
How data may be used in practice
Provides examples of how customer and product data may support consumer decision-making and accredited services.
What is still subject to further design
Makes clear where data scope, structure, and detailed requirements will depend on regulations and standards.
Status: Pending
Dependent on regulations and standards development.
Prioritisation rationale: Data scope is a core implementation issue for the electricity sector. Early clarity on the types of customer and product data likely to be in scope will help participants assess system impacts, data readiness, and the practical implications of the proposed CDR.
7. Applying for accreditation in regulated open electricity
How accreditation is expected to apply in regulated open electricity
Explains how the CDR accreditation framework is expected to apply to electricity participants, including where sector-specific settings may still need to be confirmed through regulations.
What may be different for electricity participants
Highlights the areas where electricity participation may require different accreditation settings, evidence, or classes, while making clear that these are still subject to final policy and regulatory decisions.
How to prepare for a future application
Provides early guidance on the kinds of information, internal readiness, and organisational planning potential applicants are likely to need before applying.
How and when to apply once settings are confirmed
Explains that MBIE will publish guidance on the application process, timing, and requirements once the relevant regulations and accreditation settings are settled.
Status: Pending
Dependent on regulations and standards development.
Prioritisation rationale: Accreditation guidance is included because future electricity participants will need clarity about how the existing CDR accreditation framework is expected to apply in an electricity context. This topic is sequenced after earlier foundational topics because the electricity-specific settings are still being developed and fuller guidance will be more useful once those settings are clearer.
8. Implementation readiness and likely timeframes
What implementation readiness is likely to involve
Provides an early view of the types of planning, sequencing, and delivery work participants may need to consider.
Dependencies between regulations, standards, and participant readiness
Explains why implementation timing depends on more than regulations alone.
Why participant feedback on timeframes matters
Encourages potential data holders to provide realistic input on delivery complexity, dependencies, and constraints.
How MBIE will use readiness insights
Explains that participant feedback will help inform planning, engagement, and the practical approach to implementation.
Status: Pending
Dependent on regulations and standards development.
Prioritisation rationale: This is prioritised early because implementation timing is likely to be a significant concern for electricity participants. Potential data holders are well placed to identify delivery dependencies, sequencing risks, and realistic timeframes, so early guidance in this area will support more informed engagement and better planning.
9. Consumer authorisation and likely electricity use cases
How consumer authorisation is expected to work
Explains the likely role of consumer consent and authorisation in regulated open electricity.
What types of services may be supported
Outlines the main use cases currently expected to be relevant, such as plan comparison and switching-related services.
What good consumer experience is likely to require
Highlights the importance of clear information, workable consent, and practical usability.
What this could mean for participants
Helps potential participants consider where consumer-facing process changes may be needed.
Status: Pending
Dependent on regulations and use case confirmation.
Prioritisation rationale: This is included early because the value and impact of regulated open electricity will depend heavily on the use cases it is expected to support and the way consumer authorisation is intended to work. Participants are likely to need early visibility of these matters to understand the practical implications for customer journeys and service design.
10. Standards development and future electricity implementation
How MBIE expects standards development to work for electricity
Gives an early view of how standards are likely to be developed, consulted on, and maintained.
How standards, regulations, and implementation readiness interact
Helps participants understand the sequencing and dependencies between these elements.
What participants may need to prepare for before go-live
Signals the likely future need for testing, technical readiness, and implementation planning.
How participants can engage on emerging standards issues
Explains how operational and implementation feedback can help shape future standards work.
Status: Pending
Will become more detailed once regulations are stable.
Prioritisation rationale: This is placed later because electricity-specific standards are still to be developed. Early guidance is still useful to explain how standards development is likely to work and how it will interact with regulations and implementation planning, but more detailed guidance will become more useful once the regulatory settings are further advanced.
11. Understanding the electricity regulations and standards
What the electricity regulations and standards will do
Explains the role of regulations and standards in establishing regulated open electricity.
How the key documents will work together
Helps readers understand the difference between legal requirements, standards, and guidance.
What consumers and non-specialists may need to know
Provides simpler explanation material for people who are not expected to work directly with the source documents.
How MBIE will explain changes over time
Confirms that MBIE will publish guidance as the framework develops and becomes clearer.
Status: Pending
More useful once regulations are further advanced.
Prioritisation rationale: This is lower in the roadmap because detailed guidance on the electricity regulations and standards will be more useful once those documents are further developed. It is also likely to be especially helpful for consumers and other non-specialist readers who want a clearer explanation of how the framework fits together.
12. Electricity sector roadmap and maturity outlook
High-level roadmap for sector uplift and maturity
Sets out the major development steps, capability uplifts, and future areas of focus MBIE expects may shape regulated open electricity as the CDR matures.
Signals of future focus areas beyond immediate designation and standards work
Explains the broader developments MBIE expects participants to watch, including changing consumer expectations, innovation opportunities, and wider sector change.
How roadmap visibility will support engagement and readiness
Clarifies that this guidance is intended to support forward planning, earlier engagement, and a more considered transition into future obligations.
How future priorities will be identified
Outlines the role of participant feedback, operational experience, and emerging issues in shaping future guidance development.
Status: Pending
Forward-looking guidance to support participant planning.
Prioritisation rationale: This is later in the roadmap because the immediate priority is to help the sector understand the likely initial CDR and prepare for early implementation planning. Longer-term roadmap and maturity guidance will become more useful once there is more clarity about electricity designation, standards development, and likely sector timing.
Roadmap feedback
We welcome feedback on all aspects of the guidance produced. Your input helps ensure guidance is practical, relevant, and supports effective implementation across the sector.
Email our CDR team to provide input on:
- guidance topics: areas where further guidance would support understanding or implementation
- content detail: whether draft or published guidance is clear, accurate, and reflects operational realities
- priority and sequencing: whether the current priority order reflects areas of greatest need
- emerging issues: new or evolving areas where guidance would be helpful.
Feedback may be used to refine existing guidance, adjust priorities, and inform future guidance development.
We encourage early engagement where clarification is needed, or where guidance would support consistent interpretation across participants.
