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Rebate FAQs
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1. Who is eligible to receive the TECT rebate?
To be eligible to receive the rebate, you must meet the following criteria:
You must have been a Trustpower customer with an active power account in the TECT district* on the 28th January 2021.
Have an active power account in the same name, with Trustpower/Mercury, in the TECT district* during the eligibility periods:
The eligibility period for the July rebate is: 1 October the previous year to 31 March.
The eligibility for the December rebate is: 1 April to 30 September.
If you moved properties during the qualifying period, there must have been less than 30 days between finalising one account and registering with with one of the above retailers into the new property.
If you switch to another power company that is not Mercury, you cease to be eligible for future rebates unless you return to one of the listed retailers within 18 months from the date you switched.
*The TECT district is basically the Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty region. Parts of Waihi Beach are excluded from the TECT District. 106 Seaforth Rd - Bowentown end - is included in TECT's District. 104 Seaforth Rd - Waihi Beach - is excluded.
2. How much is the rebate?
The rebate is $500 a year; $250 is paid in July, and $250 is paid in December. The annual amount will increase to $600 a year from 2031 and increase to $700 a year from 2041 until 2050 when the rebates will end.
3. When is the rebate paid?
The rebate is paid in July and December.
4. How is the rebate paid?
The rebate is either paid directly into eligible beneficiaries' nominated bank accounts, or credited to beneficiaries' power account*. A credit to the power account is the default payment method if no bank details are provided.
If you would like to change your rebate payment method, please contact Mercury on 0800 10 18 10 and one of the team will be able to help you.
* If you close your power account while any rebate payments (or part of any rebate payments) remain as credit on your account, and if Mercury is unable to contact you about the credit, that credit will be returned to TECT 12 months after the date the credit was applied to your account.
5. How many ICPs can I receive a rebate for?
The maximum number of ICPs you will be eligible to receive a rebate for is the number of active ICP’s you had with Trustpower, in the TECT district, on 28 January 2021, plus an additional five. So, if a customer had two ICPs on 28th January 2021, the maximum number they can ever receive a rebate for is seven.
6.Why are we receiving this rebate?
Because you had a power account with Trustpower on 28th January 2021 in the qualifying area*, you became a beneficiary of TECT. TECT rebates are paid to beneficiaries who meet the qualifying criteria in FAQ question 1.
*Qualifying Area - basically the territories of Tauranga City Council and WBOP District Council. (Formerly supplied electricity by Tauranga Electric Power Board or Tauranga Electricity Ltd). Only parts of Waihi Beach are eligible - includes Bowentown end to 106 Seaforth Road (104 Seaforth Road is not included in the TECT area). View our district map here.
7.Where does the money come from in the first place?
The money comes from returns on TECT’s investments.
8. Has the rebate got something to do with our Manawa Energy shares?
No. You have received this rebate because you are a beneficiary of TECT. See Question 5.
9. Why do I need to provide my bank account details to receive the rebates when Mercury already has them for my power account direct debit?
The bank account details held for the TECT rebates are separate to Mercury billing systems.
10. Will people outside Tauranga/Western Bay receive a rebate?
No, only Mercury/Manawa customers in the TECT district are eligible to receive the rebate. Note TECT boundaries for Waihi Beach per Question 2.
11. Will customers who sign up with Mercury after 28 January 2021 receive a rebate?
No, to be a TECT beneficiary, you must have been a Trustpower customer on 28 January 2021.
12. Will customers who switched from Trustpower to Mercury after 28 January 2021 receive a rebate?
TECT Beneficiaries who switched to Mercury prior to its purchase of Trustpower (1st May 2022) are not deemed beneficiaries during that period. They regain their beneficiary status from 1st May 2022 and will receive rebates for subsequent distributions where they meet the eligibility criteria.
13. Will customers of Manawa Energy receive a rebate?
Only if they are TECT Beneficiaries as per Question 1 and continue to have an active power account with Manawa Energy which meets the eligibility criteria for each rebate period.
14. What happens if I moved house during the qualifying periods? Will I still receive a TECT rebate?
It will depend whether or not you re-connected with Mercury in your new property (within the TECT area) and the length of time between moving properties. A maximum of 30 days between moves is allowed.
15. If I move away before the close off date, do I get a part payment?
No. To be eligible to receive the rebate you must have had an active power account continuously throughout the eligibility period. The eligibility periods are:
July rebate: 1 October - 31 March
December rebate: 1 April - 30 September
There are no part payments.
16. If we change our account name during the qualifying period, do we still get a rebate?
If you change the name on your power account during the qualifying period you will not be eligible for the rebate. Some exceptions apply, please contact our office on 07 578 5094.
17. The account is in our landlord’s/body corporate name but we pay the bill. Do we receive the rebate?
The rebate is paid to the person or organisation named on the Mercury account. This person(s) is liable to pay the bill and are therefore entitled to receive the rebate.
18. Do I need to provide TECT with my updated address and contact details?
No, this information is provided to TECT by the appropriate power company at the time of the rebate distribution. As long as your information is correct with the power company, this is what will be received by TECT.
19. Can I have my rebate paid early?
No. The rebates are all processed in one batch and it's not possible to separate one out before this process occurs.
20. Do I declare the income in my tax return?
No. The rebate is being made from TECT’s capital and therefore is not taxable to you. It should not be included in your tax return.
21. Do I have to declare the rebate as income for my local council rates rebate?
No.
22. I've lost my tax certficate
Rebates paid since November 2010 are a distribution of TECT's capital and therefore is not taxable to you. You do not need to declare this income and it should not be included in your tax return.
TECT can provide information about previous years' rebates to beneficiaries, however a search fee may apply. Please contact our office (07) 578 5094.
23. I have a rebate cheque from 2018 or earlier, how can I get this paid out?
If you are still holding a cheque from 2018 or earlier, please send this to the TECT office at DX Box HP40007, Tauranga, 3112, or drop off to us at The Kollective, 145 17th Avenue, Tauranga.
Please ensure you include your bank account details for payment. This needs to be either a deposit slip, bank statement or screenshot from your online banking showing your bank account number and name.
If there are multiple names on your power account, but you would like it paid into an individual's bank account, we will need authorization from the other account holder/s that they are happy for the rebate to be paid to the individual. This can be done by sending a copy scan of the other account holder/s driver license or passport, and their signature.
24.How long do I have to query my entitlement to a rebate?
You have 12 months from the date of a previous distribution to query your entitlement to a rebate.
Still unsure?
Contact our team:
Phone: TECT office on 07 578 5094
Email: info@tect.org.nz
Visit: The Kollective, Historic Village, 17th Ave, Tauranga South, Tauranga 3112
Write to us
The Kollective
DX Box HP40007
Tauranga 3112
Visit us
The Kollective,
145 17th Avenue,
Tauranga, New Zealand
Phone us
07 578 5094
Email us
