An Ecobulb energy efficient lightbulb amongst frosted incandescent bulbs. Photo/file
An Ecobulb energy efficient lightbulb amongst frosted incandescent bulbs. Photo/file
Yearly power costs for a medium-sized Tauranga home can vary by more than $500 by using different power companies, according to Powerswitch.
Using Consumer New Zealand's energy price comparison website Powerswitch, the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend has found annual power bills for a medium-sized household (8096 kWh per year) vary by $523 between the cheapest and most expensive companies - although this is a guide and does not include any special offers or bonuses.
Of Tauranga's 11 companies, Trustpower came out the most expensive provider at $2594 and Flick Electric Co was the cheapest at $2061.
On average, consumers who switch can save $175 a year on their electricity bills, and hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders have done so.
However, this does not take into account Trustpower's annual TECT dividend payout with a minimum payout of about $500.
The Powerswitch prices show rolling three-year prices for annual electricity usage in main centres. The figures are a guide to general trends in electricity prices, and show where specific electricity providers are in their pricing cycle and which providers are cheapest for a specific usage profile.
Consumer NZ researcher Jessica Wilson said the data was based on an overall scenario to give people an idea of how much they could save.
Another section of the Powerswitch website gave people the option to use information from their most recent power bill to compare how other companies would charge for a similar usage.
Powershop chief executive Ari Sargent said he was pleased with the company's standing and said it aimed to be as competitive as possible.
Mr Sargent said the Powerswitch website worked by companies providing their tariff information and the obligation was on the company to provide their best offer to Consumer NZ.
"It is an estimate at the end of the day but, broadly speaking, I think it's pretty representative, certainly of our tariffs."
Flick Electric Co chief executive Stephen O'Connor said Flick's customers had direct access to all the costs of supplying electricity including generation, distribution, transmission and metering.
"It's completely transparent. One of the reasons we're cheaper is giving customers access to the true cost of electricity. Secondly, our customers have access to wholesale prices and those prices change by time of day. Quite often it's a lot cheaper depending on the time of day."
Trustpower community relations manager Graeme Purches said this year, the minimum TECT dividend cheque would be close to $500 and that did not count those people who also got internet and gas through the company.
Mr Purches said Powerswitch was a guide, nothing more.
"Trustpower has been consistently gaining customers for the last 23 months and in the last year those numbers have taken off. Powerswitch is a simplistic look at prices ... my advice to people is to do their homework.
"For people in Tauranga, I struggle to believe that anybody would be better off with anyone else, because of that cheque."
Pulse Energy's general manager of external relations said Powerswitch was one way to get an indication of the types of available plans: "The ranking does depend on where you live, how much power you use, and what other credits are being offered at any point in time. In some cases our plans appear in the top spot and in others we may not."
Electric Kiwi acting managing director Huia Burt said the company was "really happy" with where it sat on the Powerswitch website. It began operating in Tauranga this month.
"We're aiming to be one of the cheapest providers in the market. We feel we can do that because we're a 100 per cent online company."
Genesis Energy and Energy Online public affairs manager Richard Gordon said both companies aimed to offer a relatively cheaper price to customers wherever they were.
A big selling point for both of these companies was "great Kiwi service", with a call centre based in the country.
Meridian Energy media manager Michelle Brooker said Powerswitch did not take into account Meridian offers that were available to prospective customers, such as sign-up credits and online offers.
"We can't discuss how other retailers set prices, but believe we are competitively priced in Tauranga."
Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges. Photo/file
Mighty River Power general manager customer James Munro said Mercury Energy was committed to delivering great value, new offers and innovative products for its customers.
"A great example is our free online Good Energy Monitor service, which gives people visibility and control over their energy usage and to date has saved customers more than $3 million.
"Budget-conscious customers also have the option of Globug, our globally leading pre-pay technology.
"Community Services Card holders are eligible for cut-price rates for electricity with Globug, which are among the cheapest in the market, putting cash back in the pockets of Kiwi families," he said.
Contact Energy communications adviser Kaapua Smith said the cost varied from customer to customer.
"In regards to the data shown in the powerswitch graph for Tauranga, Contact's 2014 price incorporates changes to network pricing, which are set by electricity network companies.
"In previous years the changes in price reflect both a network component, which may have been up or down and a Contact component."
Nova Energy communications manager Mark Reynolds said relying on the Powerswitch data to make claims of specific dollar savings could be misleading or inaccurate because it was a three-year rolling average.
Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges encouraged people to use the tools to get the best deal.
"Powerswitch and What's My Number are tools that enable consumers to make more informed choices about their electricity supplier.
"On average, consumers who switch can save $175 a year on their electricity bills, and hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders have done so."
Simple ways to reduce your energy bill - Close doors and draw curtains at dusk to keep the day's heat in. - Stop draughts - make sure windows and doors fit into their frames. Use draught stopping tape or door snakes along the bottom of doors. - Fill gaps and cracks in wooden floors to prevent draughts coming through. - A well-placed rug can also help cover cracks and gaps. - Only have heat pumps and gas fires turned on when you're home and using the room. - If your heater has a timer, use it rather than leaving the heater on all day. - If your shower fills a 10-litre bucket in less than a minute, fit a shower flow restricter to cut hot water costs significantly. - Change to energy efficient light bulbs - each bulb can save you $20 a year. - Appliances that use standby power can account for 7 per cent of your power bill so turn off appliances at the wall when not in use. ¦Dry firewood gives more heat, store in a garage/shed under cover. - Check your fridge door seals - if not sealed properly your fridge will be using more energy than it needs to. Source - EECA Energy Wise website www.energywise.govt.nz
