Power companies: Which is the best?

Four major companies rated below the mark - including Genesis Energy (64 per cent), Contact Energy (67 per cent), Mercury Energy and Meridian Energy (both 70 per cent).

Smaller energy retailers rate more highly with consumers than major companies.

Rising power bills are driving down satisfaction with big energy retailers, a Consumer New Zealand survey has found.

Of the 8400 Kiwis asked, 73 per cent said their power company's performance was "good" or "very good".

But four major companies rated below that mark - including Genesis Energy (64 per cent), Contact Energy (67 per cent), Mercury Energy and Meridian Energy (both 70 per cent).

New Zealand's fifth largest electricity generator Trustpower fared slightly better, with 75 per cent of customers rating it good or very good.

Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin said the cost of power was continuing to influence customer satisfaction, with the industry's overall performance rating dropping since it reached 78 per cent in 2012.

Smaller companies fared better, with Meridian-owned Powershop scoring 94 per cent and Trustpower-owned Energy Direct NZ rating 89 per cent.

Newcomer Flick Electric also rated highly, with 96 per cent of customers being satisfied with their service.

A spokesman for Contact Energy said he was disappointed with the score and hoped to be able to make improvements, while a spokeswoman for Mercury Energy said she was pleased with the company's "consistent result."

A spokeswoman for renewable source electricity generator Meridian Energy said the survey was a great snapshot of what Consumer New Zealand members thought of electricity companies, and Meridian had recently improved its website to include a price estimator to help customers.

Trustpower commercial manager Chris O'Hara said though it was good to rank higher than other major retailers, the company still aspired to improve. He said Trustpower-owned, Whanganui-based Energy Direct NZ's 89 per cent higher rating was because of its local, personal business model.

No one from lowest rating company Genesis Energy was available to comment on the survey.

Powershop spokesman Hamish Wilkie said the company's high score was great news, and customer satisfaction was a key focus for the retailer, which has slightly less than 60,000 customers in New Zealand.

He said the company had consistently rated 90 per cent or higher since it began in 2009.

Flick boss Steve O'Connor said the company's top score reflected the company's approach of "unbundling" the costs that made up customer's power bill.