How to switch power company in New Zealand: Billy, Powerswitch and the traps

Power bills have risen about 20% in two years, according to Consumer NZ, and half of households have stayed with the same retailer for five years or more. That combination is expensive. Switching power company in New Zealand is free, quick and does not involve anyone visiting your house, and since March 2026 there are two independent tools to help.

Who regulates it

The Electricity Authority (Te Mana Hiko) writes the rules for the electricity market, including how retailers must treat customers. Since 1 January 2025 its Consumer Care Obligations are mandatory: retailers must communicate clearly, help customers who are struggling to pay, keep fees such as reconnection charges reasonable, and never disconnect a registered medically dependent consumer.

The lines, poles and meter belong to your local lines company, which you do not choose. Switching changes only the retailer that buys power on your behalf and sends the bill.

Two comparison tools you can trust

Billy (billy.govt.nz) is the Electricity Authority’s own comparison and switching service, launched in March 2026. You upload a bill or answer questions about your usage and it compares plans for your address. Six months in, the Authority reported around 500,000 visits, more than 200,000 comparisons and over 8,500 switches started through Billy, with plans covering about 97% of homes. Billy relies on retailers for plan data and says it cannot guarantee every figure is current.

Powerswitch (powerswitch.org.nz) is run by Consumer NZ, a not-for-profit, and has been going for more than 25 years. It is funded by a small fee retailers pay when someone switches through it, and it ranks plans by price. In its August 2026 update, Consumer NZ put the average annual saving for people switching through Powerswitch this year at around $479.

Both tools use your ICP number, the unique 15-digit code for your connection, printed on your bill, to show the plans available at your address. Our own comparison page links to these services, and any partner link on it is labelled as one. We do not name a “best” retailer, because the answer depends on your address, meter and usage.

The switch, step by step

1. Find a recent bill. Note your ICP number, plan name, daily charge, unit rates and last year’s usage in kWh.
2. Compare on Billy, Powerswitch or via our compare page. Use your real usage; a smart meter’s half-hourly data gives the most accurate answer for time-of-use plans.
3. Check your current plan for a break fee if you are on a fixed term.
4. Sign up with the new retailer. Clicking “switch” on a comparison site only tells the retailer you are interested; the switch happens once you agree to its terms. Ask whether it wants a bond: the Consumer Care Obligations require retailers to be clear about bonds and discounts.
5. The new retailer arranges the transfer with your old one. You do not need to ring the old company to leave. On average it takes 3 to 4 days.
6. If you pay by direct debit, cancel it with your bank for the old retailer, as Powerswitch reminds you, then pay the final bill.

If someone in your home depends on electricity for their health, tell the new retailer when you sign up. Under the Consumer Care Obligations it must ask about this, help you register as a medically dependent consumer and must not disconnect you. On a prepay plan, check that the new retailer offers prepay at your address before you commit, because not all do.

What never happens

Your power is not switched off. Powerswitch answers this in its FAQ with a firm “Definitely not!” The only time supply briefly stops is when a meter has to be changed, and the new retailer arranges that with you first.

Cooling-off and cold calls

Power deals are still sold by phone and door to door. Under the Fair Trading Act, an uninvited direct sale worth more than $100, or where the price is uncertain, comes with 5 working days to cancel. Consumer NZ uses a cold-called electricity deal as its example. If you signed up online after comparing, the cooling-off rule for uninvited sales does not apply, so read the terms before you confirm.

Traps to watch

The loyalty tax. Consumer NZ found in June 2026 that more than a million households are probably paying too much, partly because retailers give their best prices to new customers. Your current retailer may also have a cheaper plan; ask.

Bundles. About 30% of energy customers have a bundled deal with broadband or mobile. A bundle can hide a poor power price. Compare the power part on its own.

Prompt payment discounts. A plan that is only cheap if you pay on time is not cheap in the month you forget. Compare the price you will actually pay, not the headline.

Low user plans. The rules that forced retailers to offer low fixed charge plans end on 1 April 2027. If you are on one, your daily charge is likely to rise; comparing now tells you whether another plan already suits you better.

Time-of-use plans without a smart meter. Cheaper off-peak and free-hour plans need a meter that records half-hourly data. Check before you switch.

Where the switching is going

Consumer NZ’s figures show how fast the market moves: in July 2026, 55.5% of switches through Powerswitch went to Electric Kiwi and 17.4% to Genesis, up from 37% and 3.8% in March. That tells you where prices were sharp this winter, not which retailer suits your house. Run your own numbers.

If something goes wrong

Complain to the retailer first, in writing if you can, and keep a note of dates and reference numbers. If it is not sorted, Utilities Disputes handles electricity and gas complaints for free (0800 22 33 40).

When switching pays

It pays after the 1 April price changes, before winter when usage peaks, when a fixed term ends and whenever you have not checked in a year. A free contract alert can remind you when your fixed term is up, and our bill guide helps you read the daily and variable charges before you compare.