This Official Information Act (OIA) request seeks transparency from **WorkSafe New Zealand** about **electrical safety incidents, testing standards, and record-keeping practices** concerning advanced (smart) electricity meters.

It forms part of a coordinated, multi-agency inquiry into how smart-meter performance, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and power-quality issues are monitored and recorded across New Zealand’s regulatory system.

Purpose of This Request

WorkSafe is responsible for enforcing the **Electricity Act**, **Electrical Safety Regulations**, and the **Health and Safety at Work Act**. These laws require oversight of electrical incidents, product testing, and safety standards.

This OIA specifically asks WorkSafe to:

* Release any **incident or investigation records (2018–2022)** where smart meters caused or contributed to **EMI, surges, voltage transients, or appliance damage**.
* Provide **testing and approval documentation (2015–2022)** for smart-meter immunity to electrical or electromagnetic interference.
* Disclose its **record-keeping and search methodology**, including which databases were checked and whether any relevant records have been **disposed of under the Public Records Act 2005**.

Context & Linked OIAs

This request builds upon earlier OIAs where other agencies—**Electricity Authority (EA), PHF Science / ESR, MBIE, and the Ministry of Health**—each stated that **no New Zealand-specific smart-meter EMF or safety assessments exist**, despite public interest and ongoing consumer complaints.

Key linked OIAs:

* [#31857 – Smart Meter Safety Assessments & Incident Records (Electricity Authority)](https://fyi.org.nz/request/31857-smart-m...)
* [#31923 – Approved Smart Meter Type List, Test Standards & Fault Statistics (MBIE / WorkSafe Transfer)](https://fyi.org.nz/request/31923-approve...)
* [#31855 – EMF and Smart Meter Health Assessments (PHF Science / MoH)](https://fyi.org.nz/request/31855-officia...)

Together, these reveal a **regulatory gap**: each agency points to another, yet no one appears to hold the full safety record for smart-meter deployments.

Public Interest

This request is not adversarial—it simply seeks to verify how smart-meter incidents are logged, tested, and monitored, given their nationwide rollout and increasing reports of EMI-related appliance damage.

The outcome will help determine whether New Zealand’s regulatory framework:

* Maintains adequate **incident tracking and product-safety oversight**, and
* Meets its **Public Records Act duty** to retain full and accurate information about public safety matters.

*Status:* Request lodged — awaiting WorkSafe acknowledgment and clarification of search scope.
*Next steps:* Cross-reference responses from MBIE and EA to confirm whether any testing or incident data are being withheld or misclassified.

Public-Facing Annotation – FYI Request #32794

Advanced Electricity Meters (Smart Meters): Safety Incidents, Test Standards & Record-Keeping (2015–2022)
Date: 4 December 2025


WorkSafe has now issued a 15-working-day extension under section 15A of the Official Information Act, citing:
• “consultations are necessary before a decision can be made on your request.”

This annotation summarises what was requested, why this extension is notable, and what this likely signals.

⸻

1. What was requested

This OIA sought specific information about smart meter safety and regulatory oversight in New Zealand, including:
• recorded safety incidents (overheating, arcing, fire hazards, faults, failures)
• test standards, certification, and compliance procedures
• record-keeping obligations under electrical safety regulations
• data or analysis held by WorkSafe from 2015–2022
• any internal reviews or concerns regarding smart meter installations or defects

The request was deliberately narrow, framed around regulatory obligations and safety records that WorkSafe should hold as part of its electrical-safety mandate.

⸻

2. WorkSafe’s response (4 Dec 2025)

WorkSafe has:
• extended the timeframe by 15 working days
• cited consultations as the rationale
• stated the extension also applies to any potential transfer of the request
• given the requester the right to complain to the Ombudsman


Notably:
• No mention of “large quantity of information” (unlike WorkSafe’s other smart-meter OIA extension to you).
• The key driver here is multi-party consultation.

⸻

3. Why this extension is significant

A 15-day consultation-based extension almost always indicates one or more of the following:

A. Multiple agencies hold overlapping responsibilities

Likely agencies:
• WorkSafe – Electrical Safety
• MBIE Energy Safety
• Electricity Authority (market regulation)
• Lines companies / metering equipment providers (AMI sector)

The need for consultation strongly suggests WorkSafe does hold information, but its disclosure may have regulatory implications.

B. Smart meter safety data is sensitive

There is ongoing public concern about:
• smart meter failures
• faulty installations
• house fires
• EMF/health concerns
• calibration or accuracy issues
• compliance with AS/NZS electrical standards
• gaps in national oversight

Releasing hard safety-incident data could highlight:
• under-reporting
• gaps in enforcement
• quality differences between metering providers
• systemic problems in installation practices

C. WorkSafe may be checking whether data can be released without breaching commercial or agency confidence

Extensions under s15A for consultation are often used when:
• another regulator “owns” parts of the information,
• potential for embarrassment exists,
• statutory obligations clash, or
• the agency must confirm what is disclosable.

⸻

4. What this signals for transparency

Since WorkSafe is the principal regulator for electrical safety and high-risk work, one would expect:
• a clear national database of electrical incidents connected to smart meters
• robust records of installation compliance
• test-standard traceability
• mandated record-keeping from installers and metering suppliers

The extension suggests:
• such data does exist,
• but cannot be released immediately,
• and likely requires co-ordination with other agencies or industry stakeholders.

This is consistent with long-standing concerns that New Zealand lacks transparent national reporting on smart-meter safety and compliance trends, despite millions of installations.

⸻

5. Where things stand now

The request is still open. WorkSafe now has an extended deadline (mid-January 2026 depending on holiday closures).
No transfer has occurred yet — but the wording implies this remains possible.

There is no indication yet whether WorkSafe intends to:
• release the data in full,
• partially release with redactions,
• refuse under s 18(f), s 18(g), or s 9(2)(ba),
• or transfer elements to MBIE or the Electricity Authority.

⸻

6. Next steps for anyone following this request
• Await WorkSafe’s substantive decision.
• If WorkSafe refuses the request, consider narrowing it to:
• incident categories
• annual counts
• record types
• data dictionaries
• enforcement actions taken
• If WorkSafe passes the request to MBIE or the Electricity Authority, it may indicate deeper regulatory gaps or differing data ownership.

The pattern of extensions across smart-meter OIAs suggests significant public-interest issues regarding national electrical safety, data transparency, and regulatory performance.

⸻

7. Summary

WorkSafe’s 15-day extension confirms:
• smart meter safety and record-keeping information exists,
• it likely involves multiple agencies,
• and WorkSafe requires further internal/external consultation before deciding on release.

Updates will be added here as they occur.