"This will kill us."
That was facilities manager Doug Klever's reaction to news that Switzer Residential Care's power bill will increase more than 20 per cent when the Kaitaia rest home's contract with Mercury expires on January 25.
Mr Klever said he had to check with general manager Jackie Simkins to be sure he was interpreting the new figures correctly. He was, Ms Simkins saying the added cost of around $20,000 a year would wipe out the home's modest annual surplus.
"We've been with Mercury for 12 months. They offered us a good deal, and now they do
this," Mr Klever said.
He was now frantically contacting other electricity suppliers in the hope of finding something cheaper, but, while some were cheaper than Mercury, the best deal he had found as of yesterday would still represent an increase of more than 10 per cent.