VECTOR:// THE FUTURE
IS
IR 2019 ELECTRIFYING
WE’RE
GOING
ELECTRIC
Consumers are choosing how they use energy. At work, at play. They are embracing more choice over how they get around, e-scooters, e-skateboards, e-bikes, electric vehicles (EVs), electric trains. You name it, choice is constantly accelerating. The way we move around is electrifying right before our eyes.
BUT THE CLIMATE
IS ALSO
CHANGING
The electrification of transport is another significant example of an energy transition, driven by consumer preference and by the urgent need to decarbonise our economy and minimise the growing impact of climate change on New Zealand. It means New Zealand must find a less carbon-intensive energy supply. It means consumers will insist on having more control and choice. It means long-term city and energy infrastructure planning must become more integrated. And it means new technologies and new market entrants will arrive, keen to disrupt the status quo on behalf of consumers by putting more power in their hands, just as they have done in other industries. Change is already happening. The number of EVs has been roughly doubling every year. By June 2040, the Ministry of Transport estimates EVs will make up 40% of New Zealand’s fleet. Now add in e-scooters, e-bikes, e-skateboards, and whatever the future will bring.
BATTERIES
ARE NOW
INCLUDED
The cost of grid-scale battery storage is tumbling. Energy Storage Association (ESA) figures show costs for large-scale storage systems have halved between 2014 and 2018. As part of its innovative thinking, Vector is trialling vehicle- to-home technology which turns EVs into mobile batteries. Meanwhile, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, in some Middle-East countries we can now see solar photo-voltaic prices of below 3 cents (USD) per kilowatt hour. This is cheaper than all other forms of electricity generation. These sorts of trends mean that customers should be able to look forward to more sustainable homes and energy independence, through solar and battery, through energy control software and technologies, and through investment in efficiency measures like LED lights and better insulation.
IT’S TIME
FOR
NEW RULES
As a diversified energy group and a leader in new energy solutions, as well as the custodians of the country’s largest energy distribution platform that underpins this, our job is to enable the transition to a new energy future to meet the needs of future generations, whilst growing sustainably. Our network must become even smarter, to cope with new types of generation, new capabilities of technology and the ever-changing preferences of customers. We must empower customers to control where and when they charge their e-scooter, their e-bike or their EV. We must keep everyone connected as stronger and more unpredictable weather challenges New Zealand’s infrastructure. We must support the relentless growth of Auckland city. The wider sector must become more responsive to all these forces also. As a country, we cannot continue to import coal to plug gaps between supply and demand. We cannot continue to remain so dependent on hydro storage when drought risk is increased by climate change. It’s time for bolder action, on all sides. The pending Interim Climate Change Commission report will help guide how New Zealand can make the transition to 100% renewable energy, while the current Government electricity sector review is a huge opportunity to put the right incentives in place to reshape the industry for the benefit of consumers and to set new rules for new times.
VECTOR
IS TAKING
THE LEAD
Disruption doesn’t wait. It starts gradually then arrives suddenly. An energy revolution is fast growing, and is being driven by what consumers want and what technology can deliver, not by what the industry or regulation is willing to allow. While the collective sector must work harder to provide less carbon intensive supply, we know that changing consumer preferences and the ongoing growth of Auckland will also continue to drive demand. Vector must be in a position to handle this disruption, so for some time we have been forming global relationships with leading companies, and taking a leadership position on new technologies, new customer solutions and new ways of thinking about delivering an intelligent, resilient network. Change has consequences. Whenever there is major disruption, there are some who may be more impacted than others. So, we have also been working with consumers to understand how these new energy technologies will evolve and be used. We must strive to help share the load. Failing to do so would leave some people behind, and would hold Auckland back. The future of energy is here, let’s make it work for all New Zealanders.
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
HALF YEAR
SNAPSHOT
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Net profit
Adjusted EBITDA
$ 264.7 M
$ 83.3 M
Group net profit increases 5.4%
Adjusted EBITDA increases 5.9% 1
Capital expenditure
Regulated Networks adjusted EBITDA
Capex increases 10.1% $ 201.1 M
$ 198.7 M
Up 3.1% 1
Gas Trading adjusted EBITDA
Interim dividend
$ 20.7 M
8.25
CENTS PER SHARE
Up 12.5% 1
Fully imputed
Network connections
Technology adjusted EBITDA
5,160
New gas connections 1,669
$ 72.9 M
New electricity connections
Up 12.7% 1
1. Includes NZ IFRS 15 and 16 accounting changes. See page 21 for more details.
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PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS
Vector Urban Forest launched in September 2018, planting more than 15,000 trees
Deloitte Energy Excellence Award achieved for Health & Safety at OnGas Bottle Swap plant
On 31 December 2018, Vector Lights lit up the first major city in the world to welcome in the new year
New Outage Centre now in operation, supported by new Cyber Security Operations Centre
Commissioned new grid-scale batteries in Warkworth and Snells Beach
Continued smart meter growth in New Zealand and Australia
Safety Always: TRIFR decreased by 17% LTIFR decreased by 59%
First New Zealand business to receive the Accessibility Tick
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LEADERSHIP Chair and Group Chief Executive report
CONTINUED PROGRESS
TOWARDS A NEW
ENERGY FUTURE
Simon Mackenzie — GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Dame Alison Paterson — CHAIR
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Vector’s financial results for the six-months to 31 December 2018 demonstrated growth across all business segments within the Group, with much of this growth fuelled by the continued expansion of Auckland’s city and population. The six-month period also saw ongoing change as the macro trends that Vector has long been anticipating, and in many cases leading, continued to play out. This is within an industry that, historically, has been slow to adapt to change and has significant vested interests and legacy assets to protect. Vector has stood apart from others and has been working hard to stay ahead of the curve and lead. As a result, we have been thinking about and investing in customer choice and new technology and associated trends in the energy sector for over a decade now. The electricity and transport sectors are rapidly converging. Not only does New Zealand have more electric vehicles (EVs) on our roads by the day, but also the popularity of e-bikes is booming, and we have even seen the mass introduction of e-scooters in several cities as a further sign of potential transport disruption to come. To support the expected growth in EVs, Vector has released a how-to guide to make it easier for tenants and residents of business, commercial and apartment buildings. Vector’s ‘Connecting Electric Vehicle Chargers’ guide offers best-practice advice for installing EV chargers – including making sure that chargers are compatible with a wide range of EVs now and into the future. The showcasing of the possibilities of new and sustainable technology is important. This was one of the main reasons why Vector, in partnership with Auckland Council, delivered Vector Lights on Auckland Harbour Bridge to the city. It was pleasing to see international media coverage of Auckland’s New Year’s Eve celebration with Vector Lights providing a brilliant visual back-drop to the first major city in the world to welcome in 2019.
The energy and transport sectors
are rapidly converging.
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it is becoming more and more urgent to address, and because increasingly, our customers expect us to. We also believe leadership in sustainability is good for business, providing us with better visibility of the potential role of the new and more sustainable energy technologies in driving commercial benefit and material value. These are the macro trends that have underpinned our strategic thinking around diversification and investment, and these are the trends that contributed to our solid financial results for the six months to 31 December 2018. Looking at the half-year 2019 financials, adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Adjusted EBITDA) for the six months to 31 December 2018 were $264.7 million, up $14.7 million (5.9%) on last year’s result. The headline adjusted EBITDA result includes an uplift due to certain accounting changes 1 . Excluding these accounting changes, comparable adjusted EBITDA was up $10.0 million (4.0%) on the previous corresponding period. Each business segment recorded an uplift in adjusted EBITDA relative to the prior period. Regulated business earnings were up $6.0 million (3.1%) largely due to higher electricity volumes because of continued Auckland residential growth and a colder winter compared with the last year. Gas Trading earnings were up $2.3 million (12.5%) as a result of higher production levels at the Kapuni gas treatment plant and cost efficiencies from the new Bottle Swap plant in South Auckland. Earnings in the Technology segment grew $8.2 million, or 12.7%, mainly because of continued growth in smart meter deployments in New Zealand and Australia. Within this segment, E-Co Group has experienced some market and operational headwinds, and as a result has underperformed against our expectations. To address this, a new CEO and new management team have been recruited,
Through the internet of things, cities and infrastructure networks are becoming smarter and more connected to each other and to distributed devices and objects. More of this digital and infrastructure ‘intelligence’ will be needed to help manage the challenges of the volatile and unpredictable weather that climate change is now creating. This is one of the reasons why Vector has been investing in the co-development of an intelligent utility networking system of systems, known as DERMS (Distributed Energy Resource Management System), to help manage and optimise the inevitable growth in solar, battery, EVs and other distributed energy sources and network connected devices. Auckland continues to grow relentlessly. Meanwhile new digital and energy technologies are disrupting sector economics and offering viable alternatives to the old-fashioned 40-year infrastructure assets that in previous decades would have been needed to accommodate Auckland’s rapid growth. This will help reduce the potential burden on future generations created by unnecessary costs or obsolescent infrastructure. And, most importantly, consumers are demanding more empowerment over how, where and when they use energy, and have ever-higher expectations around the service they receive and the contributions that companies make to critical issues. Vector has been taking the lead on sustainability for many years because it’s the right thing to do, because
1. As at 1 July 2018, Vector has adopted new standards for revenue from contracts and lease accounting (NZ IFRS 15, 16) and changed the way in which we account for gains/losses on disposal of fixed assets. For more information, and a breakdown of NZ IFRS changes by segment see page 21.
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who have been repositioning the business to meet the growing demand for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning solutions. Group net profit was up 5.4% to $83.3 million from $79.0 million in the prior period. This was largely due to higher earnings and an increase in capital contributions, partially offset by an increase in depreciation and amortisation as well as non-cash movements within costs of finance. Capital expenditure increased 10.1% to $201.1 million from $182.7 million in the prior period. This was driven by an increase in Australian smart meter deployment and network capital expenditure to support the ongoing growth in Auckland. As mentioned at the annual shareholder meeting in November 2018, since the major storm in April 2018, Vector has been upgrading the foundations of its outage management systems, processes and tools to improve the customer experience. In addition, we have been working closely with retailers and other key stakeholders, such as Civil Defence, to improve essential information access and data coordination. We have also increased our vegetation management efforts, and have continued to upgrade and maintain our existing network assets. While this programme of work has (thankfully) yet to be tested with a weather event of similar magnitude to the one experienced in April last year, the painful lessons we have learnt have also seen a comprehensive overhaul of the underlying systems and processes that feed into customer tools. A new and improved Outage Centre customer tool is now in operation, supported by a new Cyber Security Operations Centre, and we expect to see continuous improvements to the way in which our customers can access information during outages. That said, as an organisation that is increasingly focused on customer experience across our entire Group, we know we still have a great
deal of work to do. Further, we see customer experience as an increasingly critical part of our investment thinking, and have developed deeper insights into what customers prefer and expect, and how they want to be able to engage with us across our products and services. We welcome the focus from the Electricity Pricing Review panel on ensuring wider access to network metering data on reasonable terms. We have also invested in our people and our culture, to ensure we deliver on service expectations, and try to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers at all times. Our customer and staff research reveals that we are continuing to head in the right direction. In governance matters, long-serving Chairman Michael Stiassny stepped down at November’s annual shareholder meeting, David Bartholomew and Sibylle Krieger stepped down as independent directors in the same month, and Entrust trustee Mike Buczkowski joined the Board as a non- independent director, replacing outgoing Trustee James Carmichael. The Board remains committed to the long-term strategic direction of Vector, and has initiated an independent skills-based review and a new director search to ensure the right skills and composition of the Board are in place for Vector’s future. The six months has also seen the commencement of the signalled Government review of the electricity sector which, along with the pending Interim Climate Change Commission report, will help guide New Zealand’s transition to 100% renewable energy. Given the macro trends at play, it is timely the Government has this once-in-a- decade opportunity to incentivise investment in the new energy technologies that will help empower customer choice, help solve big market challenges, and help promote more innovation and competition.
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The extraordinary wholesale electricity market volatility was especially noticeable late last year, when wholesale prices appeared to be significantly out of kilter with market conditions. In December, Vector joined an Undesirable Trading Situation submission by a group of independent retailers, asking the Electricity Authority (EA) to look more closely at the wholesale market. We did this because we believe it is not in the interests of consumers to see innovative new retailers being squeezed out of the market. We think that’s an outcome which is bad for consumers, and bad for competition. Just as importantly, we are nearing the next reset of regulated pricing and quality standards for the electricity distribution sector, scheduled to take place in 2020. What is increasingly clear is that, given the pace of change, the existing regime for quality control, last reset in 2015, no longer reflects the reality of the changed operating environment, particularly in relation to health and safety legislation and the impact of Auckland growth. Therefore, we will continue to work constructively with the Commerce Commission on the new quality standards scheduled to take effect on 1 April 2020, following the regulatory reset process. The electricity sector is not alone in facing the need to have fit-for-purpose regulation that can meet the difficult challenges presented by rapid technological disruption, volume growth or changing consumer preferences. Many other sectors and their associated regulatory bodies, such as telecommunications, aviation, petrol and banking, are grappling with the same issues. In other matters, Vector welcomed the High Court’s decision in December on a judicial review of the long-standing Utilities Disputes Limited case. We pursued this because network infrastructure providers, and their customers, would have been potentially significantly impacted by the precedent created by the original decision of the Utilities Disputes Commissioner. This common-sense decision
It can set new ground rules for the sector that will maximise benefits for the next generation of energy consumers, promote equitable outcomes, as well as help enable New Zealand’s sustainability ambitions. We also believe it’s an opportunity to recognise the infrastructure demands of high growth areas such as Auckland. We need the right policy settings and investment incentives to ensure high growth and evolving energy needs are met. It won’t be easy. While New Zealand has long prided itself on its electricity market, it’s clear there are major challenges emerging. Today, our wholesale electricity market is extraordinarily volatile, which exposes retailers without generation capability to significant difficulties. We have limited hydro storage. There is coal being imported to plug the generation gap between supply and demand. We have seen gas production constraints. We have uncertain incentives around technology investment. We have relatively slow uptake of solar, battery and EVs compared with many other countries. And according to the Government, customers are paying more for their energy than ever amidst concerns over energy affordability. That said, the Electricity Pricing Review Panel’s Options Discussion paper published in late February this year is largely encouraging. It favours options that reflect the importance of new technology, greater resilience and improved customer choice, as well as options that improve market transparency and address practices that may stifle competition or unfairly penalise some consumers. As the review is finalised, we also hope to see an even greater focus on options that improve energy efficiency, and, most importantly, address problems experienced in the wholesale market.
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provides a framework for a more certain outcome in these sorts of scenarios, and ensures infrastructure providers can continue to focus their efforts on all their customers. We also hope to see genuine progress this year on updating tree management regulation which is already significantly overdue. Updated regulation has been under consideration by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for several years now, and the April 2018 storm in Auckland provided a sharp reminder of the challenges created when trees near power lines are not adequately managed by owners. To play our part, we increased the amount we allocate for vegetation management, and in September 2018 launched a new programme to raise awareness of the need to have the right trees in the right places, by planting thousands more. The Vector Urban Forest initiative means we will replace every tree we must cut down for network management or safety purposes, with two new natives, planted in areas that help with local ecological restoration schemes. Looking ahead to the remainder of FY19, the guidance given in August for adjusted EBITDA remains appropriate. As noted at the time, this guidance did not include the impact of adopting NZ IFRS 15 and 16, which, together with other minor accounting changes, are expected to impact FY19 adjusted EBITDA by approximately $10 million. Our guidance range, adjusted for the impact of these accounting changes, is therefore $480 - $490 million. Our result in the first half of the year benefited particularly from strong electricity volumes. Should this continue in the second half of the year, we would expect the FY19 result to be towards the top end of our guidance range. Looking further ahead, Vector’s future earnings and ability to pay ongoing increasing dividends could be significantly influenced by the reset of our electricity network revenues for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025 which is known as the Default Price Path 3 (DPP3).
The Commerce Commission has now largely confirmed the methodology that will apply to this reset. The key remaining variables are the five-year New Zealand Government bond rate during June, July and August 2019 (which is used to set the regulated Weighted Average Cost of Capital for DPP3) and the network expenditure allowances and quality targets that will apply to DPP3. The Commerce Commission expects to announce its draft decision on 31 May 2019 with a final decision due on 28 November 2019. We will provide a further update when we release our full year results. In accordance with our dividend policy, we will review our dividend approach once the parameters for DPP3 have been confirmed. Regardless, Vector will need to progress its transformation and continue to show leadership on technology, resilience and the provision of customer choice. We are certain that the industry will continue to be disrupted and the impacts of climate change will increasingly be felt. Vector will need to not only stay ahead of the curve, but also to continue to balance the needs of customers today with those of the next generation. Our vision is for Vector to create a new energy future for New Zealand. A future where customers are fully empowered and have control and choice over where, when and how they use energy. A future where all consumers get the benefits of new energy technologies, not just the more advantaged. We want Vector to attract the best talent in New Zealand and contribute more than our fair share to a more sustainable, more equitable energy system. We want all our people and the public to remain safe around energy.
Dame Alison Paterson Chair
Simon Mackenzie Group Chief Executive
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BUSINESS SEGMENT REVIEWS
REGULATED
NETWORKS
Regulated Network’s adjusted EBITDA for the six months to 31 December 2018 was up $6.0 2 million (3.1%) to $198.7 million against the prior half-year. This adjusted EBITDA uplift was largely driven by higher electricity volumes because of continued Auckland residential growth and a colder winter compared to the prior year, partially offset by higher maintenance costs. The increase in maintenance costs was largely due to additional expenditure focused on improving network reliability and reducing SAIDI. Revenue increased 2.6% to $403.1 million, driven by the release of accumulated Loss Rental Rebates 3 and an increase in capital contributions, which were up 21.9% to $41.2 million, this reflected continued connection growth and significant infrastructure development taking place across Auckland. Underlying revenue (net of contributions, Loss Rental Rebates and pass-throughs) was up $7.3 million with an increase in connections and a colder winter. This was partially offset by a decline in gas revenue of $2.0 million, primarily because of the regulatory gas price reset from 1 October 2017. New electricity connections fell 15.3% to 5,160 from 6,090, but remain elevated relative to historical levels. New gas connections increased 0.8% to 1,669 from 1,656. Total electricity connections stood at 567,009, up 1.3% from 559,777 the previous year. Total gas connections were 110,489, up 2.0% from 108,270 a year ago. Volumes transported across the electricity network rose 0.9% to 4,390 GWh from 4,352 GWh in the prior year. Average household consumption on our network appears to have stabilised after more than a decade of decline. Auckland gas distribution volumes were flat at 7.7 PJ. Regulated capital expenditure increased by 4.5% to $125.0 million, with most of the increase in capital expenditure due to Auckland growth and infrastructure development. Net of capital contributions, regulated capital expenditure
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HIGHER ELECTRICITY VOLUMES DRIVEN BY CONTINUED AUCKLAND RESIDENTIAL GROWTH AND A COLDER WINTER.
2. For the breakdown of NZ IFRS changes by segment see page 21. 3. This represents the accumulation for the six-month period ending 31 December 2018. These Transpower receipts have been released to Other income and a provision for payment is reflected in Other expenses. Proceedings relating to network outages brought against Vector by the Commerce Commission Vector is aware of media reports regarding the proceedings that have been brought against it by the Commerce Commission under the Commerce Act, for breaches of its quality standards. Some reports suggested Vector’s breaches were caused solely by its decision to change its health and safety practices to avoid work on ‘live lines’, and that the Commission had ignored this in deciding to bring proceedings. These reports are incorrect and the Commerce Commission has asked us to acknowledge that Vector would have breached its quality standard in the relevant years regardless of its changes to ‘live line’ practices. The Commerce Commission in December 2018 stated that its decision to pursue enforcement proceedings against Vector was not based on Vector’s policies for de-energising of lines for safety reasons. A penalty hearing in relation to these proceedings is scheduled for 6 March 2019. remained relatively flat. Notable projects completed during the period included two grid- scale batteries in Warkworth and Snells Beach, as well as additional generator purchases for supporting outage management. During the period, Vector reached a settlement with the Commerce Commission concerning breaches to the electricity network quality standards that occurred in 2015 and 2016.
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BUSINESS SEGMENT REVIEWS
GAS
TRADING
Gas Trading’s adjusted EBITDA was up strongly by 12.5% to $20.7 4 million from $18.4 million a year earlier, the result benefiting from higher production at the Kapuni Gas Treatment Plant, increased LPG sales and improved cost efficiencies at the new 9kg Bottle Swap processing plant. That said, this growth is not expected to carry into the second half of the year, due to the loss of a large natural gas customer and rising gas costs. The natural gas business experienced challenging market conditions during the period. While Kapuni field production was up 14.6% to 5.5PJ, natural gas volumes fell 9.4% to 8.7 PJ as a result of planned and unplanned gas field outages that reduced supply and provided for unprecedented market conditions. Consequently, some of our customers faced significant disruption, and we worked hard to help them mitigate their exposure. The issues related to gas constraints have raised a number of unresolved questions regarding the transparency of the market. Our LPG business performed strongly in the first half of the year. Gas liquid sales were up 8.0% to 44,020 tonnes. While Bottle Swap growth is now slowing (volumes up 1.8% on the prior period), we are now benefiting from cost efficiencies at the new plant. LPG tolling volumes were down 8.3% to 81,718 tonnes due to a lack of exports over the period.
INCREASED CAPACITY AT ONGAS BOTTLE SWAP PLANT SUPPORTING SUMMER DEMAND FOR GAS.
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4. For the breakdown of NZ IFRS changes by segment see page 21.
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BUSINESS SEGMENT REVIEWS
TECHNOLOGY
The Technology segment’s revenue increased 2.3% to $137.0 million from $133.9 million a year earlier driven largely by greater deployment of smart meters. This also contributed to the increase in adjusted EBITDA for the Technology segment, which rose 12.7% to $72.9 5 million. Our smart meter fleet grew 11.3% to 1.48 million over the period, including nearly 110,000 smart meters in Australia. We installed more than 45,000 advanced meters in Australia over the first six months of the financial year, and our New Zealand smart meter fleet increased by almost 30,000 (net of replacements). The metering business in New Zealand was augmented by the acquisition in September 2018 of Vircom, a nationwide provider of field services for commercial and residential smart meters. This business complements our existing metering capabilities and enables us to provide a full-service nationwide metering capability to our customers. While Vector Communications delivered a steady result, our New Energy Solutions business has had a mixed performance in the first half. PowerSmart is performing well, with a strong pipeline of projects across New Zealand and the Pacific. However, E-Co Products (trading as HRV), Vector’s channel to market for healthy and energy efficient home solutions, has faced headwinds. Over the last 12 months we have made several changes; these include closing the HRV retrofit windows business, launching a residential solar offering and more recently, appointing a new CEO, Colin Daly, who joined us in September 2018. While it has underperformed to expectation, we are optimistic that this business unit is well positioned to grow, especially given its strong product mix, the desire of consumers for choice and control and the Government’s focus on healthy and energy efficient homes.
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INSTALLATION OF ONE OF POWERSMART’S PROJECTS, AT THE NEW ZESPRI HQ IN MOUNT MAUNGANUI.
5. For the breakdown of NZ IFRS changes by segment see page 21.
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ACCOUNTING CHANGES
ACCOUNTING
CHANGES
From 1 July 2018, Vector has adopted two new accounting standards (NZ IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers and NZ IFRS 16 Leases 6 ) and made a change to the way in which we account for the disposal of fixed assets. Of the two accounting standards, NZ IFRS 16 poses the most significant financial impact in both the balance sheet and the profit and loss statement. NZ IFRS 16 requires that the value of the outstanding liability for leases is calculated using Vector’s incremental borrowing rate at the date of transition 7 . The right of use asset is then recognised and measured at a value equalling the lease liability, adjusted for lease incentives recorded on the balance sheet. Under the modified retrospective approach, the H1 2018 comparatives are not restated. Vector’s right of use asset value is driven predominantly by property leases. This includes leases for offices, warehouses, data rooms, and buildings. The key impact in the profit and loss statement is a reduction in the amount of operating expense reported, offset by an increase in interest and depreciation. The impact for the six months ending 31 December 2018 is a reduction to operating expenses of $4.0 million and an increase to depreciation of $3.5 million and interest cost of $1.0 million. The impact of NZ IFRS 15 is an increase in revenue of $0.6 million. In addition to the adoption of NZ IFRS 15 and 16, Vector has also reassessed the presentation of gains and losses on disposal of fixed assets within our statement of profit and loss.
Historically, disposal losses have been included within ‘Operating Expenses’. Disposal losses are also included within the Group’s non-GAAP profit measures of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA. From 1 July 2018, we have included disposal gains and losses with Depreciation and Amortisation. In the six months ending 31 December 2018, $1.4 million of disposal losses has been reclassified from Operating Expenses to Depreciation and Amortisation. The H1 2018 comparatives have not been restated 8 . IMPACT OF NZ IFRS CHANGES ON H1 2019 ADJUSTED EBITDA $M
Segment
NZ IFRS 15 NZ IFRS 16
Total
Regulated Networks
0.6 0.6 1.2
Gas Trading Technology Corporate
–
0.7 0.7
– 2.0 2.0 – 0.7 0.7 0.6 4.0 4.6
Total
6. We have adopted the modified retrospective approach. 7. Both standards are effective from 1 July 2018. 8. Prior year comparative value was $0.1m.
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BUSINESS SEGMENT REVIEWS
PEOPLE, SAFETY
& RISK
Vector takes a comprehensive, Group-wide and future-focused approach to fostering and protecting the things that are already of, or we believe can create, material value for the business, including people, communities, assets and the environment. This means we strive to understand the macro forces in which we operate and the value drivers and enablers for our people, business, stakeholders and customers. And we believe Vector has a responsibility to lead, not follow, in acting and advocating for the things that matter. The six months to 31 December 2018 saw continued business leadership. In October 2018, Vector was recognised as the first New Zealand business to receive the Accessibility Tick. The Accessibility Tick is a public recognition of an organisation’s ongoing commitment to becoming accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities. We did this because we believe diverse, inclusive and accessible workplaces results in a more successful business and can help attract talent. In October 2018, Vector also introduced new enhancements to our parental leave policy which aim to reduce the financial burden for new parents and provide extra time off for employees to support their partners. As part of this we are offering to top up the Government Primary Carers payments to support new parents. Vector continues to work with young women to promote interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers. In the first half of the financial year we supported initiatives including ShadowTech, Rosie Revere Engineer and entered into a sponsorship agreement with GirlBoss New Zealand. The sponsorship involves funding ten workshops in secondary schools and introduces a sustainability award category to the GirlBoss New Zealand Awards which recognises the achievements of trailblazing young women.
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VECTOR WON THE 2018 DELOITTE ENERGY EXCELLENCE HEALTH & SAFETY AWARD FOR THE PAPAKURA BOTTLE SWAP PLANT.
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BUSINESS SEGMENT REVIEWS
In August 2018, Vector won the Deloitte Energy Excellence 2018 Health & Safety Initiative of the Year Award for the Papakura Bottle Swap plant – a greenfield development of a state of the art facility which was the first plant in New Zealand to be accepted as a major hazards facility under the safety case regime. Vector remains one of a small number of businesses that is Living Wage accredited. We have also continued to proactively address pay equity, analysing average hourly pay rates across the company as well as across role types and role seniority. A small number of pay equity issues were identified and have now been addressed.
Vector Urban Forest, an initiative to encourage planting away from power lines, was launched in September 2018 with the planting of over 15,000 trees at Puhinui Reserve in Auckland. As part of this programme, Vector has committed to planting two trees for every tree removed for network purposes. To address the issue of end-of-life lithium ion batteries we have convened a Battery Leaders Group to identify circular solutions for large batteries. In November 2018, a workshop was held with stakeholders across the automotive, energy and waste industries to explore future scenarios for maximising the value of second-life batteries. In safety, a continued focus over the six months saw Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rates (TRIFR) decrease by 17%. Lost Time Injury Frequency Rates (LTIFR) reduced by 59%. In October 2018, Vector was successfully reaccredited to AS/NZS 7901, which is a standard that covers our health and safety processes and performance around public safety regarding our gas and electricity assets. Vector will reaccredit to AS/NZS 4801 for our health and safety systems and performance and to ISO 14001 for our environmental systems and performance. We have also changed the way we record and collect information about injuries, even pre- existing ones. For example, OnGas deliveries involve a high degree of manual handling of gas bottles. We now have a far better insight into the nature and type of strains and sprains and have implemented a nationwide triage process to ensure treatment starts as early as possible.
IN SEPTEMBER 2018, VECTOR PLANTED MORE THAN 15,000 NEW TREES TO LAUNCH ITS URBAN FOREST INITIATIVE.
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OPERATING STATISTICS For the six months ended 31 December
2018
2017
ELECTRICITY Customers 1, 5
567,009
559,777
New connections
5,160 3,933 4,390
6,090
Net movement in customers 2 Volume distributed (GWh)
54,677
4,352
Networks length (km) 1
18,783
18,607
SAIDI (minutes) 3
Normal operations 4
156.7 361.4 518.1
168.0
Extreme events
0.0
Total
124.8
GAS DISTRIBUTION Customers 1, 5
110,489
108,270
New connections
1,669 1,260
1,656 1,600
Net movement in customers 2 Volume distributed (PJ) GAS TRADING Natural gas sales (PJ) 6 Gas liquid sales (tonnes) 7 9kg LPG bottles swapped 8 Liquigas LPG tolling (tonnes) 9 TECHNOLOGY Electricity: smart meters 1, 10 Electricity: legacy meters 1
7.7
7.7
8.7
9.6
44,020 358,208 81,718
40,752 351,962 89,147
1,480,851
1,333,208
81,170 226,495
91,848 223,368
Gas meters 1
1. As at 31 December. 2. Net number of customers added during the period, includes disconnected, reconnected and decommissioned ICPs. the 9 months ended 31 December 2018 is an unaudited value and subject to change. 4. Normal operations SAIDI includes the impact of 3. SAIDI (minutes) for
5. Billable ICPs. 6. Excludes gas sold as gas liquids as these sales are included within the gas liquids sales tonnages. 7. Total of retail and wholesale LPG and natural gasoline. Includes wholesale volumes from Kapuni and retail volumes via Ongas. Product sold from Kapuni to Ongas is counted twice for the purpose of this metric. 8. Number of 9kg LPG bottles swapped and sold during the year.
9. Product tolled in Taranaki and further tolled in the South Island is counted twice for the purposes of this metric. 10. The number of smart meters deployed as at
31 December 2018 includes 146,062 meters managed but not owned by Vector (31 December 2017: 118,961).
7 Major Event Days at the cap of 3.37 SAIDI minutes for each event.
24
Vector://IR 19
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
Total income
Operating cash flow
Rises 1.8% on the previous corresponding period $ 688.6 M
Falls 7.2% on the previous corresponding period $ 219.1 M
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
31 DEC 2018 6 MONTHS
31 DEC 2017 6 MONTHS
30 JUN 2018 12 MONTHS
$ MILLION
CHANGE
Total income
688.6 264.7 144.8
676.2 250.0 140.4
1.8% 1,328.4
Adjusted EBITDA
5.9% 3.1% 5.4%
470.1 244.2 149.8 389.9
Adjusted EBIT
Net profit
83.3
79.0
Operating cash flow
219.1
236.0
(7.2%)
FINANCIAL POSITION
$ MILLION
31 DEC 2018
31 DEC 2017
CHANGE
30 JUN 2018
Total equity Total assets
2,451.1 5,934.3
2,468.1 5,668.3
(0.8%)
2,457.9
4.7% 5,808.0
Economic net debt (borrowings net of cash and short-term deposits)
2,449.3
2,252.9
8.7% 2,337.8
KEY FINANCIAL MEASURES
31 DEC 2018 6 MONTHS
31 DEC 2017 6 MONTHS
30 JUN 2018 12 MONTHS
CHANGE
Adjusted EBITDA/total income Adjusted EBIT/total income
38.4% 21.0% 41.3% 49.6%
37.0% 20.8% 43.5% 47.3%
3.8% 1.0%
35.4% 18.4% 42.3% 48.8%
Equity/total assets
(5.1%)
Gearing 1
4.9%
Net interest cover - (adjusted EBIT/ net interest costs) (times) Earnings (NPAT) per share (cents) Dividends declared, cents per share (fully imputed)
2.0 8.3
2.1 7.9
(3.8%)
1.9
5.1%
14.8
8.25
8.25
0.0%
16.25
1. Gearing is defined as economic net debt to economic net debt plus adjusted equity. Adjusted equity means total equity adjusted for hedge reserves.
25
Vector://IR 19
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE TRENDS
TOTAL INCOME (CONTINUING OPERATIONS) FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER $ MILLION
NET PROFIT (INCLUDING DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS) FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER $ MILLION
120
800
107.1
676.2 688.6
100.1
700
618.9 590.6 625.6
100
87.3
83.3
600
79.0
80
500
60
400
300
40
200
20
100
0
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
-100
REGULATED NETWORKS
GAS TRADING
CONTINUED OPERATIONS DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATE
INTER-SEGMENT
ADJUSTED EBITDA (CONTINUING OPERATIONS) FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER $ MILLION
300
264.7
257.0
253.5
250.0
244.8
250
200
150
100
50
0
-50
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
TOTAL GROUP
REGULATED NETWORKS
GAS TRADING
TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATE
26
Vector://IR 19
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE TRENDS
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER $ MILLION
OPERATING CASH FLOWS (INCLUDING DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS) FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER $ MILLION
300
7.9
248.8
250
226.3 236.0
219.1
203.3
200
12.3
62.2
150
40.2
125.0
119.6
100
10.6
50
6.0
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
REGULATED NETWORKS
GAS TRADING
TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATE
SOURCE OF FUNDING – GEARING AS AT 31 DECEMBER $ MILLION
2,252.9
2,449.3
2,512.9
2,492.7
ECONOMIC NET DEBT
ADJUSTED EQUITY
27
Vector://IR 19
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Vector’s standard profit measure prepared under New Zealand Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP) is net profit. Vector has used non-GAAP profit measures when discussing financial performance in this document. The directors and management believe that these measures provide useful information as they are used internally to evaluate performance of business units, to establish operational goals and to allocate resources. For a more comprehensive discussion on the use of non-GAAP profit measures, please refer to the policy ‘Reporting non-GAAP profit measures’ available on our website (www.vector.co.nz). Non-GAAP profit measures are not prepared in accordance with New Zealand International Financial Reporting Standards (NZ IFRS) and are not uniformly defined, therefore the non-GAAP profit measures reported in this document may not be comparable with those that other companies report and should not be viewed in isolation from or considered as a substitute for measures reported by Vector in accordance with NZ IFRS. DEFINITIONS EBITDA: Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation from continuing operations Adjusted EBITDA: EBITDA from continuing operations adjusted for fair value changes, associates, impairments, capital contributions, and significant one-off gains, losses, revenues and/or expenses.
RECONCILIATION:
31 DEC 2017 6 MONTHS $M
31 DEC 2018 6 MONTHS $M
Group EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA
Reported net profit for the period (GAAP) 1
83.3 71.7 31.3
79.0 66.4 31.9
Add back: net interest costs 1 Add back: tax (benefit)/expense 1
Add back: depreciation and amortisation 1
119.9 306.2
109.6 286.9
EBITDA
Adjusted for: Associates (share of net (profit)/loss) 1 Fair value change on financial instruments 1
(0.5)
0.1
0.2
(2.8)
Capital contributions 1
(41.2)
(34.2)
Adjusted EBITDA
264.7
250.0
1. Extracted from reviewed financial statements.
2018
2017
Segment adjusted EBITDA
SEGMENT ADJUSTED EBITDA
LESS CAPITAL CONTRI- BUTIONS
REPORTED SEGMENT EBITDA
SEGMENT ADJUSTED EBITDA
LESS CAPITAL CONTRI- BUTIONS
REPORTED SEGMENT EBITDA
Six months ended 31 December
72.9 20.7 93.6
– – –
72.9 20.7 93.6
Technology Gas Trading
65.1 18.4 83.5
(0.4)
64.7 18.4 83.1
–
Unregulated segments
(0.4)
Regulated Networks segment
239.9
(41.2)
198.7
226.5
(33.8)
192.7
Corporate
(27.6)
–
(27.6)
(25.8)
–
(25.8)
TOTAL
305.9
(41.2)
264.7
284.2
(34.2)
250.0
28
Vector://IR 19
GROUP CONDENSED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS for the six months ended 31 December 2018 (unaudited)
CONTENTS 30 ——— Independent Review Report 32 ——— Group Condensed Interim Financial Statements 32 ——— Profit or Loss 33 ——— Other Comprehensive Income 34 ——— Balance Sheet 35 ——— Cash Flows 36 ——— Changes in Equity 37 ——— Notes to the Group Condensed Interim Financial Statements
GROUP CONDENSED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS These group condensed interim financial statements for the six months ended 31 December 2018 are dated 25 February 2019, and signed for and on behalf of Vector Limited by:
Director
25 February 2019
Director
25 February 2019
And management of Vector Limited by:
Group Chief Executive
25 February 2019
Chief Financial Officer
25 February 2019
29
Vector://IR 19
INDEPENDENT REVIEW REPORT for the six months ended 31 December 2018
Independent Review Report
To the shareholders of Vector Limited Report on the interim consolidated financial statements
Conclusion Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the interim consolidated financial statements on pages 32 to 48 do not: i. present fairly in all material respects the
We have completed a review of the accompanying interim consolidated financial statements which comprise: — the consolidated balance sheet as at 31 December 2018; — the consolidated statements of profit and loss, other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for the 6 month period then ended; and — notes, including a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Group’s financial position as at 31 December 2018 and its financial performance and cash flows for the 6 month period ended on that date; and comply with NZ IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting .
ii.
Basis for conclusion A review of interim consolidated financial statements in accordance with NZ SRE 2410 Review of Financial Statements Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity (“NZ SRE 2410”) is a limited assurance engagement. The auditor performs procedures, consisting of making enquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. As the auditor of Vector Limited, NZ SRE 2410 requires that we comply with the ethical requirements relevant to the audit of the annual financial statements. Our firm has also provided other services to the group in relation to regulatory, other assurance, IT forensic and other forensic services. Subject to certain restrictions, partners and employees of our firm may also deal with the group on normal terms within the ordinary course of trading activities of the business of the group. These matters have not impaired our independence as reviewer of the group. The firm has no other relationship with, or interest in, the group. Use of this Independent Review Report This report is made solely to the shareholders as a body. Our review work has been undertaken so that we might state to the shareholders those matters we are required to state to them in the Independent Review Report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the shareholders as a body for our review work, this report, or any of the opinions we have formed.
30
Vector://IR 19
© 2019 KPMG, a New Zealand partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity.
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