Tēnā koe Spencer

Thank you for your Official Information Act request received by WorkSafe New Zealand on 9 November 2025.

We will respond to your request in accordance with the provisions of the Official Information Act as soon as reasonably practicable and not later than 20 working days.

If we need to extend this timeframe, we will let you know before that date with the reasons why.

Please contact [email address] if you have any questions.

Ngā mihi,

Ministerial Services
8 Willis Street
Wellington
W    worksafe.govt.nz

-----Original Message-----
From: SPENCER JONES <[FOI #32795 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 9 November 2025 7:32 pm
To: Ministerial Services – WorkSafe <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Anonymised EGHR Database Aggregates for Smart Meter Installations & Upgrades (2018–2025)

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Kia ora WorkSafe OIA Team,

Under the **Official Information Act 1982**, I request **anonymised aggregate information** from the **Electricity and Gas High-Risk Database (EGHR)** in relation to **advanced electricity meter (smart meter) installations and upgrades** between **1 January 2018 and 1 September 2025**.

This request is made in the **public interest**, given the scale of smart meter rollout and the limited information released to date on associated safety and compliance outcomes.

1. EGHR – Anonymised Aggregate Summary (Smart Meters)

Please provide an **anonymised summary table** of all EGHR records relating to **smart meter installations or upgrades** (e.g. new installations, replacements, 3G→4G/5G upgrades) over the period **1 January 2018 – 1 September 2025**, showing, to the extent recorded:

* Year and/or quarter (e.g. 2018 Q1, 2019 Q2, etc)
* Number of smart meter-related PEW records
* Network/distributor or retailer (if recorded)
* Meter type or technology (e.g. 3G, 4G, 5G, dual-band, AMI – if recorded)
* High-risk category (e.g. residential, commercial, relocatable, if applicable)
* Compliance outcome (e.g. certified, failed, re-inspected, cancelled)
* Whether any associated incident notification was logged with WorkSafe (yes/no counts only – no case-level detail needed).

I am **not** seeking any personal identifiers, addresses, or individual certifier names – aggregates only.

2. 5G-Capable Smart Meters – Aggregates

For the same period (1 January 2018 – 1 September 2025), please provide:

* The total number of **5G-capable smart meter installations or upgrades** recorded in EGHR; and
* A breakdown by year (and by distributor/retailer if available); and
* Any available aggregate data on **compliance failures or re-inspections** relating specifically to 5G-capable meters.

3. Search and Export Methodology

Please describe, in summary form:

* The **search terms and filters** used to extract the above data from EGHR (for example, how “smart meter”, “AMI”, “meter upgrade”, “5G” or similar were identified);
* Any **limitations** on the data (for example, if meter type is not consistently recorded or only coded indirectly); and
* The total number of raw EGHR entries identified before any filtering for relevance to smart meters.

4. Record Retention and Disposal (Public Records Act)

If you consider that **no EGHR records** can be identified as relating to smart meters for the requested period, please:

* Provide a copy or citation of the **disposal authority or retention schedule** (under the **Public Records Act 2005**) that governs EGHR high-risk PEW data; and
* Confirm the expected **retention period** for those records; and
* State whether any EGHR records that might have included smart meter installations or upgrades for the period 2018–2025 have been **destroyed, transferred or archived**, and if so, when and under which disposal authority.

Format, Redactions and Duty to Assist

* I request that the information be provided **electronically**, preferably in **spreadsheet (CSV/XLSX)** or tabled **PDF** form for the aggregates.
* If you consider that releasing any individual-level information would require redaction under s 9 (e.g. privacy), I am happy to receive **summary/aggregate tables only**, in accordance with **s 16** of the Act.
* If any part of this request is considered likely to be refused under **s 18(f)** (substantial collation or research), please first **consult with me under s 18B** so I can refine the scope (for example, by limiting to particular years, distributors, or a higher-level summary).

This request is intended to complement, not duplicate, earlier requests to the **Electricity Authority, MBIE, PHF Science/ESR and the Ministry of Health** on smart meter safety and EMF oversight, and to clarify whether WorkSafe’s EGHR records contain relevant high-risk installation data.

Please acknowledge receipt of this request and respond within the statutory timeframe.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones**

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