Switch power company.
Without the hassle.
A free guide for Kiwi households. We show what to check, point you to Billy, Powerswitch and other comparison sites, and explain the switch: it takes 3 to 4 days on average and your power stays on the whole time.
- Your power stays on the whole time
- Your new power company arranges the switch
- 5 working days to cancel a doorstep or phone sale
Free for you. Comparison sites pay us a commission when you switch through our links. Partner link · Opens Power Compare
Facts, not promises
How switching works in New Zealand
- Switching power company is free and takes 3 to 4 days on average. Your power is not cut off; only the company that bills you changes.
- Your new power company arranges the switch. You do not need to contact the old one, but cancel any direct debit to it.
- Billy (run by the Electricity Authority) and Powerswitch (run by Consumer NZ) compare plans at your address and can start a switch for you.
- If you sign up after a cold call or door knock, you have 5 working days to cancel under the Fair Trading Act. Check fixed-term plans for break fees before leaving early.
- Your lines company and its charges stay the same whichever retailer you choose; retailers compete on the energy price, daily charge and service.
- If a complaint is not resolved by your retailer, Utilities Disputes handles it for free (0800 22 33 40).
We don't call. We don't knock.
We don't sell.
We never phone you and we sell nothing. A comparison site may call you only if you give it your number. Prefer no phone at all? Use Billy, the Electricity Authority's own comparison tool; it is on our compare page.
Is switching power company safe? What actually happens in NZ
One-minute test
Are you paying too much?
Enter your yearly usage from your bill. For a household on an average plan the gap between an expensive and a cheap offer is usually 15–20%. The comparison site shows your exact number.
Tools
Useful tools
Compare energy prices
Power plans ranked by yearly cost for your usage.
Compare 02Bill check
A photo or PDF of your last bill is enough. We read consumption, tariff and contract end, estimate what you could save and tell you where the meter number hides.
Read my bill 03Appliance consumption
What uses the most at home and what it costs. The fridge is rarely to blame; the tumble dryer often is.
Calculate 04Solar payback
How many years until the roof pays for itself, with and without subsidy. No marketing, just numbers.
Calculate 05Heat pump vs. heaters
Yearly heating cost of a heat pump against electric heaters, gas or LPG, and the payback.
CalculateHow it works
How it works
- 1
Find your consumption
It is on your yearly bill, or estimate it in the calculator.
- 2
Compare offers
The comparison site shows what a year would cost with each power company.
- 3
Switch and forget
The new power company handles the switch. We remind you by email before the contract ends.
Guides
What to sort out now
What is moving power prices in New Zealand right now (September 2026)
Eight dated events behind NZ power and gas bills: April price rises, lines charges, Billy, record-low gas reserves, the LNG terminal and low user plans ending.
How to compare power plans in NZ properly: usage, low user, discounts, tools
Compare NZ power plans on your own usage: ICP number, low user plans ending April 2027, prompt payment discounts, bundles, time-of-use, Billy, Powerswitch, Power Compare.
Power company joining credits in NZ: when a sign-up deal beats a lower rate
How NZ power joining credits and sign-up deals work: fixed terms, break fees, credits paid monthly, bundles, and a simple sum to see if a credit beats a cheaper rate.
Time-of-use and free hours power plans in NZ: who saves and how to check
How NZ time-of-use and free hours power plans work, who saves (EVs, hot water timers, flexible homes), how to read your half-hourly data and compare with a flat plan.
Charging an EV at home in New Zealand: real costs with road user charges
What 100 km costs in an EV charged at home against petrol, how road user charges change the sums, time-of-use and EV plans, wallbox rules and public charging in NZ.
How to switch power company in New Zealand: Billy, Powerswitch and the traps
How switching power company works in NZ: the Electricity Authority's Billy, Consumer NZ's Powerswitch, 3-4 day switches, break fees and Utilities Disputes.
How to cut your power bill in New Zealand: what works in 2026-27
Time-of-use hours, the end of low user plans, heat pump settings, the Winter Energy Payment and Warmer Kiwi Homes grants: practical ways NZ households pay less.
NZ power prices in 2027: why next April matters more than usual
Who sets each part of an NZ power bill, what is fixed for 2027 (low user plans ending, lines charges, export rebates), what is uncertain and when to compare.
Solar panels in New Zealand 2026: costs, buy-back rates and payback
What a home solar system costs in NZ, EECA's 7-10 year payback, how solar buy-back rates work, new peak export rebates from lines companies, batteries and the pitfalls.