New Zealand has around 20 electricity retailers competing for residential customers, all supplying power through the same national grid and local lines networks. The electricity delivered to your home is the same whichever company you choose. What differs is the price per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the daily charge, contract terms and customer service.
Powerswitch (powerswitch.org.nz), run by Consumer NZ, compares plans from 15 energy providers when you enter your address or upload a recent power bill. Prices depend on your address and usage, so a personalised comparison is more accurate than any published range.
Power Guides
- Power companies compared: what each retailer generates, sells and offers, side by side
- Electricity prices in NZ: unit rates, daily charges and what drives them
- How to switch power companies: the steps and timing
- Fixed vs open power plans: how the plan types differ
- How to lower your power bill: ways to use less and pay less
- Power and broadband bundles: combined plans
Power Company Reviews
Listed alphabetically.
- Contact Energy Review NZ: gentailer with geothermal and hydro generation
- Ecotricity Review NZ: retailer selling electricity it describes as 100% renewable
- Electric Kiwi Review NZ: independent retailer with a free daily Hour of Power
- Flick Electric NZ: what happened: customers moved to Meridian in 2025
- Frank Energy NZ: what happened: Genesis closed the brand in 2025
- Genesis Energy Review NZ: gentailer that also sells piped and bottled gas
- Globug Review NZ: prepay electricity with no bills
- Mercury Energy Review NZ: gentailer with hydro and geothermal generation
- Meridian Energy Review NZ: gentailer with 100% renewable generation
- Nova Energy Review NZ: retailer owned by Todd Corporation
Understanding Your Power Bill
Most residential bills have two parts: a unit rate for each kWh you use, and a daily charge for being connected, which you pay however little power you use. Some plans pair a low daily charge with a higher unit rate and others the reverse, so which costs less depends on your usage. Current figures and what drives them are in electricity prices in NZ.
Gentailers and Independent Retailers
The large “gentailers” (Contact, Genesis, Mercury and Meridian) both generate electricity and sell it to households. Independent retailers such as Electric Kiwi buy electricity on the wholesale market and compete on price, plan structure and service. How each retailer’s plans and features compare is set out in power companies compared.