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Electric Kiwi Broadband Review

​We review Electric Kiwi's broadband plans and outline the pros and cons of each, benefits and how to get the best price. Please note Electric Kiwi must provide your energy for you to be able to sign up to their broadband
Updated 28 March 2024

Summary: 
  • Electric Kiwi in a Nutshell: Electric Kiwi is one of the challenger electricity providers in New Zealand and has recently started offering broadband services, please note these can only be added if your power is supplied by Electric Kiwi.
  • Coverage: Check if Electric Kiwi can supply your address with power and broadband here.
 
How to get the best price on Electric Kiwi’s broadband plans: 
  1. New Customers: Plans with Electric Kiwi are cheapest when you sign up to the Prepay 300 plan, if you are an existing Electric Kiwi customer, you can add broadband onto your current energy plan and receive a month of free broadband (at the time of writing, might not be available after October 2023), or switch to the Prepay 300 plan.
  2. Renewing: All of Electric Kiwi’s plans are open-term so you are free to leave whenever if you find a better deal. Before you terminate your contract, you might want to get in touch with them and see if they can match their competitor’s offer.

Our review: 

In this guide, we detail the pros and cons of Electric Kiwi’s plans, compare them side-by-side, and outline how to choose the right broadband plan for you. We cover:

Christopher Walsh, Founder of MoneyHub, shares his views on comparing broadband providers:

  • Broadband plans have never been cheaper or faster, thanks to a nationwide fibre rollout, more competition and better technology.
  • That being said, we believe what matters is reliability, speed, price and support.
  • Our best broadband providers guide and this review help you make an informed choice. Our research team is committed to keeping everything up to date so you can easily find the best deal. 
  • We don't publish complicated tables or tools for comparing broadband. Instead, we focus on making you aware of the best deals where the pricing is fixed for at least 12 months.
  • If you have something we need to know about, please contact our research team - we would love to hear from you.
  • Unlike other broadband comparison websites, we have no relationship with any broadband company, and we're proud that our guides are 100% independent.
Christopher Walsh
MoneyHub Founder

Electric Kiwi Broadband Set Up and Installation Charges

Plan
Monthly Price
Download Speed (Mbps)
Contract type
Sweet Fibre [UFB]
$79.50
321
Open
Sweet As Fibre [Max]
$88.50
891
Open
Know this first: Your power must be provided by Electric Kiwi for you to able to sign up to their broadband plans. When comparing broadband providers, service setup charges are an essential part of the deal. In the case of Electric Kiwi, the installation cost is completely free of charge. We outline the most relevant information about Electric Kiwi's broadband plans below.
  1. Connection cost: There are no set-up costs when joining any of Electric Kiwi’s broadband plans
  2. Modem cost: There is no cost for the modem in any of Electric Kiwi’s plans. You just have to return it if you decide to terminate the service.
  3. Exit Fees:  All of Electric Kiwi’s plans are Open-term so there are no exit fees
  4. Discounts: Electric Kiwi believes in fair and simple pricing, so there are no joining incentives but there are also no fixed contracts and termination fees. From time to time, they might offer a free month of broadband with a particular electricity plan.  
  5. Add-ons: No additional services are offered at the moment.
 
Important: 
  • You must have an existing fibre connection at your place already, as Electric Kiwi does not carry out installations.

Electric Kiwi Broadband Customer Service and Outage Support

  • Electric Kiwi's Customer Care Hours are 8 am -  10 pm during weekdays and 10 am to 8 pm on weekends, their contact us page has all the details.

Comparing Electric Kiwi's Broadband Plans

Electric Kiwi offers two plans (with not very descriptive names), "Sweet Fibre" is an Ultra Fast Broadband plan (with a speed around 300 Mbps) and  the "Sweet As" plan is a Max Fibre connection (with speeds near 900 Mbps). We outline what each of them offers as well as the pros and cons.
 
Important: In order to join any Electric Kiwi broadband plan, you must have a residential electricity account with Electric Kiwi registered at the same address.

Electric Kiwi Sweet Fibre review

Summary:  This plan is a good option for  large families and professionals in need of a fast fibre plan. Good for content creators, gamers, and other use cases demanding above average download speeds.   
The Pros: 
  1. Offers one of the lowest prices for that speed of connection
  2. Unlimited data transfer
  3. Open-term contact with no exit fees
  4. Free modem, installation and no shipping costs
 
The Cons: 
  1. Electric Kiwi's broadband services are only available to customers whose power is also provided by Electric Kiwi.
  2. You must have an existing fibre connection at your residence, Electric Kiwi does not carry out installations.
  3. No add-ons available (homeline, static IP, etc)

Electric Kiwi Sweet As Fibre review

Summary: Super fast fibre connection, ideal for content creators, professional gamers, and large Kiwi families looking for a connection three times as fast as UFB (which is already very fast).   
The Pros: 
  1. Fantastic performance, an excellent option for individuals or families in need of the fastest connection speed that Electric Kiwi can offer
  2. One of the lowest prices available for this speed of fibre
  3. Unlimited data transfer
  4. Open-term contact with no exit fees
  5. Free modem and Free installation when you sign up for broadband with Electric Kiwi
 
The Cons: 
  1. Electric Kiwi's broadband services are only available to customers whose power is also provided by Electric Kiwi
  2. You must have an existing fibre connection at your residence, Electric Kiwi does not carry out installations
  3. No add-ons available (homeline, static IP, etc)

Which Electric Kiwi Broadband Plan is the Best?

Our view is that both of Electric Kiwi's broadband plans offer good value as they are some of the lowest-priced in the market, so deciding what broadband plan is best for you will depend on how much speed you need.

Choosing the Right Electric Kiwi Plan - Sweet Fibre vs Sweet As Fibre Plan

To determine which plan best suits your needs, consider the following specifications and features:
 
1. Connection Speed: In general terms:
  • The Sweet Fibre Plan is an Ultra Fast Broadband plan and has twice the download speed of regular Fibre plans, which might be a deciding factor for professionals who need to download large files.
  • The Sweet As Fibre Plan is almost three times as fast as their other plan (Sweet Fibre), and offers one of the fastest connections available in NZ. This plan will definitely meet the expectations of content creators, developers, gamers, and Kiwi families who require blazing fast download and upload speeds.

2. Flexibility:
  • All Electric Kiwi broadband plans are open-term. Since there are no exit fees, you can stay for as long as you like and switch to another broadband provider anytime.
  • All Electric Kiwi broadband plans require you to already have a contract for electricity at the address where you want the broadband service.
 
3. Set-Up Charges:
  • One of the great advantages that Electric Kiwi offers is that the charges for setting up the service are practically non-existent. The modem and shipping are completely free. The only drawback is that you must have fibre already installed at your place, as Electric Kiwi does not currently carry out installations.
 
4. Monthly Costs: Electric Kiwi offers some of the lowest broadband prices on the market and has the benefit of providing a free modem.

Electric Kiwi Broadband Frequently Asked Questions

To help you decide if Electric Kiwi is right for your home, we've included several frequently asked questions to help you know more about the service.​

Is Electric Kiwi available at my address?

Most likely - you'll need to type in your address in their "join" section to see if you're covered.

​Does Electric Kiwi offer a free modem?

Yes, Electric Kiwi offers a free modem with every plan. If you prefer, you could also set up your own modem. For further information on how to set up your your own modem, read this section.

Does Electric Kiwi offer additional perks?

No, unlike other broadband providers, Electric Kiwi does not offer additional perks.

Does Electric Kiwi offer an open term contract?

Yes, actually, Electric Kiwi does not offer fixed-term contracts. All their plans are open term with no exit fees. 

Does Electric Kiwi offer discounts for broadband plans?

Discounts are not spelled out as a feature of their plans, but are already factored into their offering of broadband. Since you need to have a power connection with Electric Kiwi, their broadband prices are some of the lowest in the market.

Who owns Electric Kiwi?

Electric Kiwi is owned by Energy Collective Ltd, 67% is owned by a UK Holdings company and 33% is owned by private investors. It has recently partnered with Vocus to provide broadband services across New Zealand.

Does Electric Kiwi offer a home phone add-on with its broadband plans?

No, Electric Kiwi does not provide these services at the moment
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