Switching power companies is a great way to trim your budget

There's hundreds of dollars of savings up for grabs - so why aren't more of us switching?

New Zealanders are missing out on easy savings, according to Consumer NZ's Chief Executive Sue Chetwin.

"The average household could save $165 a year by switching to another supplier - we've even heard of some people saving $500 a year. A few minutes spent on the site could show you how to save hundreds of dollars for you and your family. It's just common sense," says Sue.

The website, which has been visited by over five hundred thousand New Zealanders, was created in 2011 by Consumer NZ, the Electricity Authority and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to help New Zealanders find their potential power savings. The reason for such popularity is clear - according to government research, households spend $280 million per year more than they need to.

"Once you've got your number you can jump straight to Consumer NZ's powerswitch.org.nz site which lists the best deals in your area - based on your usage - and lets you automatically switch. You don't have to ring your supplier, just click and within a few minutes you'll be on the way to cheaper power bills."

www.whatsmynumber.org.nz and www.powerswitch.org.nz are independent sites maintained by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Consumer NZ and the Electricity Authority.

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