Entrust dividend revealed: How much Aucklanders get this year - and how to get it

Hundreds of thousands of Auckland households and businesses will soon pocket an extra $377 when their annual Entrust dividend lands in the coming hours.

More than 374,000 eligible power account holders in the Entrust district will receive the payment this year, which is up from $364 a year ago.

The dividend is paid either as a direct payment to bank accounts or as a credit on the recipient’s next power bill.

Those who chose to receive the payment should see it in their bank account overnight.

For those getting the bill credit, it could take four to six weeks, depending on the retailer.

Entrust chairwoman Denise Lee said dividend day is one many Aucklanders look forward to every year.

“There’s a real sense of excitement when the dividend arrives,” she said.

“For some people it helps with everyday costs, for others it’s an opportunity to treat themselves or put a little extra aside.

“We know this dividend makes a real difference in people’s lives because they tell us.”

To receive the dividend, people must have been the named power account holder on the Vector electricity network in the Entrust district at midnight on August 12.

The district covers central, east and south Auckland. It is the areas of Auckland, Manukau, northern Papakura and eastern Franklin that were formerly part of the old Auckland Electric Power Board.

Those whose payment could not be completed will receive a notification from Entrust.

Entrust is the 75% shareholder of lines and gas company Vector and each year its beneficiaries, Vector customers within the Entrust district, are paid a cash dividend.

Since 1994, Entrust has paid more than $2.5 billion in dividends to Aucklanders, with this year’s payment injecting more than $141 million back into the local economy.