By Digifin Pty Ltd · About this coverage
Key Points
- Mass market electricity and gas sales of 579GWh, against 456GWh in July 2025
- Electricity generated or acquired of 1,168GWh, from 1,040GWh; unit generation cost NZ$36.99/MWh
- Total customer connections of 706,000, from 651,000 a year earlier
- Clutha catchment inflows 132% of mean in July 2026, after 171% in June and 89% in May
- Otahuhu Q4-CY26 ASX futures settlement price NZ$73/MWh at 11 August, from NZ$51/MWh at 31 July
About Contact Energy (ASX:CEN)
Contact Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator and retailer headquartered in Wellington, listed on the NZX with its shares also quoted on the ASX. It generates electricity from geothermal, hydro and thermal power stations and is developing solar, geothermal and grid-scale battery projects. It sells electricity, natural gas, broadband and mobile services to residential, business and industrial customers across New Zealand.
Contact Energy (ASX:CEN)'s monthly operating report for July 2026 recorded mass market electricity and gas sales of 579GWh, compared with 456GWh in July 2025, made up of 403GWh of mass market electricity and 177GWh of retail gas as reported. The July 2025 comparatives include Manawa only from 11 July 2025, so year-on-year movements are measured against a partial-period base. Mass market netback was NZ$147.19/MWh, against NZ$148.69/MWh a year earlier. Contracted wholesale electricity sales, including volumes sold to the Customer business, totalled 1,079GWh compared with 987GWh, and electricity and steam net revenue was NZ$179.17/MWh against NZ$178.62/MWh. Electricity generated or acquired was 1,168GWh, from 1,040GWh, including geothermal generation of 461GWh, hydro generation of 598GWh, thermal generation of 15GWh, battery output of 2GWh, 23GWh of other acquired generation and 69GWh of acquired volume via power purchase agreements. The unit generation cost including acquired generation was NZ$36.99/MWh, compared with NZ$47.40/MWh, and own generation cost in the month was NZ$27.11/MWh against NZ$30.66/MWh. Contact reports in New Zealand dollars. Total customer connections were 706,000, from 651,000 a year earlier; the report separately lists 466,500 electricity ICPs, 79,500 gas ICPs and 151,000 telco connections.
As at 11 August 2026, South Island controlled storage was 137% of mean and North Island controlled storage was 85% of mean, with total Clutha scheme storage at 109% of mean. Inflows into Contact's Clutha catchment for July 2026 were 132% of mean, following 171% in June 2026, 89% in May 2026 and 123% in April 2026. The Otahuhu futures settlement wholesale price on the ASX for the fourth quarter of 2026 was NZ$73/MWh as at 11 August 2026, compared with NZ$51/MWh as at 31 July 2026 and NZ$62.60/MWh as at 30 June 2026. Contact's contracted gas volume, including contracted swaps, for the next 12 months is 7.7PJ. New Zealand electricity demand was up 1.9% on July 2025 and up 1.4% on July 2024, and the nationwide average temperature for July 2026 was 8.9 degrees Celsius, 0.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 July average. Renewable development projects under construction, stated at total approved project costs, are Kōwhai Park Solar at NZ$273 million and expected online in Q3-CY26, Te Mihi Stage 2 geothermal at NZ$712 million in Q3-CY27, Glenbrook-Ohurua Battery 2 at NZ$235 million in Q1-CY28 and Glorit Solar at NZ$316 million in Q4-CY28. Kōwhai Park Solar and Glorit Solar are being delivered by Contact's 50/50 joint venture with Lightsource bp.
Source: Contact Energy Limited (ASX:CEN), 14 August 2026. Summary content supplied by Digifin Pty Ltd.
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