(previously called Hot Water Control)
Effective as of the 21 January 2025
Introduction
1. These terms and conditions apply to your participation in Meridian Energy Limited’s (“Meridian”) Smart Hot Water (the “Programme”).
2. Your participation in the programme will begin on the date Meridian notifies you, and will continue until Meridian notifies you of an end date. You will be notified by Meridian no less than one month prior to the end date.
3. Nothing in these terms and conditions affects the terms and conditions of electricity supply that apply between you and Meridian, as your electricity retailer.
Eligibility Criteria
4. To participate in the Programme, you must:
a) be an existing Meridian customer or join Meridian as an electricity supply customer;
b) be a residential customer as listed on the national electricity registry;
c) meet Meridian’s standard customer eligibility criteria (refer to Meridian’s Standard Terms and Conditions for the Supply of Electricity for more information);
d) be based in a network that is participating in the Programme;
e) have an eligible smart meter that allows us to control your hot water cylinder;
f) have a hot water cylinder heated using electricity and connected to the smart meter.
g) meet any other eligibility criteria for the Programme as reasonably determined by Meridian in it's discretion
5. You must continue to meet all the eligibility criteria at all times while participating in the Programme.
You give us control of the Hot Water Cylinder / Meridian obligations
6. By participating in the Programme, you agree that we can turn off supply to your hot water cylinder for up to eight hours a day.
7. If you notice any issues with your hot water cylinder as a result of participating in the Programme, please contact us immediately. We will take reasonable steps to seek to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
8. If you expect your hot water use to increase significantly whilst you are participating in the Programme, please provide us with at least 2 business days’ notice and we can temporarily suspend your participation in the Programme. If you are repeatedly being suspended from the Programme, we may consider removing you from the Programme.
9. For every month in which you are participating in the Programme, we will credit your bill with the amount notified to you when you join the Programme.
Your other obligations
10. In addition to your other obligations in these terms and conditions, you agree to let us know immediately if any of your details or circumstances change (including if you move out of, or sell, your home), or if you no longer meet any of the eligibility criteria set out above.
11. By participating in the Programme, you agree that we may contact you for your feedback (e.g. surveys or requests for interviews) in relation to your participation in the Progamme.
Our liability to you
12. Our liability to you shall be as set out in our Standard Terms and Conditions.
13. Meridian will not be liable to you for any wear or tear of your hot water cylinder.
Your privacy and data
14. When collecting, using and disclosing personal information, Meridian complies with the Privacy Act 2020. Our privacy terms are set out in our Privacy Policy.
15. We may gather anonymised data about your usage, operating preferences and other statistical information in order to help us refine the Programme. We may share this information on an anonymised aggregated basis.
Suspension and termination of the Programme
16. Meridian may suspend or terminate your participation in the Programme if:
a) we reasonably consider that you are in breach of these terms and conditions;
b) you move out of, or sell, your home;
c) you no longer meet any one of the eligibility criteria set out above; or
d) we notify you of the end date of the Programme, in accordance with clause 2 above
17. You may leave the Programme at any time by providing us with at least two business days’ notice.
Changes to these terms and conditions
18. We can change, remove or add these terms and conditions at any time, and will provide you with advance notice of any change.
19. If we change these terms and conditions and you no longer wish to participate in the Programme, you may leave the Programme by providing us with at least two business days’ notice.