Shop around, electricity consumers urged

FILE

More than 8000 customers in Rotorua have changed power company in the past 12 months - but the city's switching rate is well below other North Island regions.

Figures released by the Electric Authority show 8298 customers across Rotorua have switched power companies from June 1, 2014, to May 31, 2015.

In each other major North Island region - including Northland and Hawke's Bay - more than 11,000 customers have made a jump.

The power company making the greatest gains was Glo-Bug, which picked up a net 489 customers.

Trust Power lost the most, a net 677 customers.

Electricity Authority acting chief executive John Rampton said the switching rate in the region was typically low but he encouraged more householders to investigate their options.

"There have recently been some new retailer brands start up in Rotorua which means customers have more options than ever before. Different retail brands and offers suit different people, so it's important to think about your circumstances.

"We would encourage all Rotorua customers to shop around, as there are definitely good savings available at the moment."

A spokeswoman for Mighty River Power (MRP), which owns Glo-Bug, said its Community Services scheme had enticed customers.

Communications manager Shannon Goldstone said the scheme had been running since February and offered heavily discounted rates to those with Community Services cards.

"Glo-Bug has offered some of the lowest prices on the market for Community Services cardholders. The intent is to lock in discounts that low-income customers might not normally get access to.

"That's where a lot of the Glo-Bug growth has come from lately and we've had some really great feedback from budgeting agents and customers around the reduced rates."

Trust Power's community regions manager Graeme Purches said the figures didn't show the full picture. "Trust Power has been the fastest-growing electricity provider for the last 20 months, and in fact we have actually gained 30,000 customers New Zealandwide in the last year.

"We may have lost some customers, with the switches like in Rotorua, but overall the company is going from strength to strength."

Mr Purches said Rotorua was seen as a hotspot for companies that had lost market share and were looking to gain them back with customer registration.

"Rotorua hasn't been a market we've focused on. We are picking up customers in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington. We are losing customers in some markets in the South Island, and Rotorua is one we're losing in the North Island, but overall the company's marching ahead."

The Electricity Authority is an independent Crown entity responsible for regulating the electricity market in New Zealand.