Electric Kiwi Review - 2023 Prices, Discounts, Deals, Tariffs and Fees
Our guide explains Electric Kiwi's pricing, bonuses, contracts, pros and cons and must-know facts, and how it compares to other power companies for residents of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Updated 23 October 2023
Electric Kiwi in a Nutshell
Our review: To help you understand how Electric Kiwi works and the pros and cons of their services, our guide covers:
- Electric Kiwi (Energy Collective Limited) is one of New Zealand’s largest electricity retailers by market share and is majority-owned (66.8%) by a UK-based company (Scientific Investors Ltd) with the rest held by private investors.
- Although Electric Kiwi does not have its own generation plants, it has grown its customer base to over 60,000, representing around 4% of the total retail electricity market.
- Electric Kiwi requires that customers have a Smart Meter installed. You can further verify if Electric Kiwi provides service to your home by entering your address on their website.
- Plans and Pricing: Electric Kiwi offers three core plans, the Kiwi Plan (which is a conventional open-term contract), the Stay Ahead 300 Plan (which is an open-term pre-paid plan that bundles broadband and electricity) and the MoveMaster Plan which offers very low rates during off-peak times. All Electric Kiwi plans are available for both, standard and low users. Also, every plan enjoys the Hour of Power, a benefit providing a free off-peak power hour every day. The off-peak time slots are between 9am-5pm and 9pm-7am every day, and customers can change their timeslot at any time.
- Electric Kiwi offers a choice of plans - our research shows the comparison of their plans against the rest of the market
Our review: To help you understand how Electric Kiwi works and the pros and cons of their services, our guide covers:
Our Price Leading Power Companies - Fixed Term and Open Term
Getting quotes is an essential step before you switch. Our pricing tables and power comparison research look at average uses, Genesis leads with fixed-term offers and Flick leads with open terms.
Fixed Term: Special Offer With Our Partner Genesis - Rewarding New Zealanders Who Commit to a Great Value Genesis 12-Month Contract:
|
Open Term: Special Offer With Our Partner Flick - Putting the Power Back in Customers Hands:
Looking for more information about power prices? Visit our comprehensive Power Company Comparison guide. |
1. Electric Kiwi Prices
- Electric Kiwi's plans often ranked towards the middle of our comparison tables according to our analysis of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin pricing. However, exact prices depend on where you live in New Zealand.
- Compare Electric Kiwi prices with the rest of the market here.
How green is Electric Kiwi?
Electric Kiwi does not own or operate power generation plants (as Genesis Energy or Contact Energy do), it is focused on using technology to maximise its customers' consumption efficiency. In that sense, Electric Kiwi is arguably one of the greenest electricity retailers in New Zealand.
As a background, the technology platform developed by Electric Kiwi allows it to 'read' the energy consumption of each customer every 30 minutes. The technology allows Electric Kiwi to calculate, with a high degree of precision, the estimated consumption for the next half hour. With this information, Electric Kiwi buys the necessary energy in the wholesale market. The savings resulting from this complex operation are then transferred to Electric Kiwi customers in their monthly bill.
As a background, the technology platform developed by Electric Kiwi allows it to 'read' the energy consumption of each customer every 30 minutes. The technology allows Electric Kiwi to calculate, with a high degree of precision, the estimated consumption for the next half hour. With this information, Electric Kiwi buys the necessary energy in the wholesale market. The savings resulting from this complex operation are then transferred to Electric Kiwi customers in their monthly bill.
2. Electric Kiwi Plans - "Kiwi" vs "MoveMaster" vs “Stay Ahead 300”
Electric Kiwi currently offers three residential plans, the Kiwi Plan, the MoveMaster Plan and the Stay Ahead 300 Plan. Each of these plans is available for both standard and low users and basically share the same key benefits
Kiwi Plan Review
- Electric Kiwi's Kiwi Plan is better suited for households that prefer an open-term hassle-free contract, with no commitments
- The Kiwi Plan has a flat variable rate throughout the day and has no minimum contract term
The Pros:
- Competitive variable power rates calculated on-demand every 30-minutes by Electric Kiwi’s smart platform
- Open-term contract, no strings attached, no early termination fees
- Electric Kiwi App. An innovative application that allows you to update your free Hour of Power, view insights on your power usage, contact Electric Kiwi's live service, get bill alerts, view bills, and more.
Cons:
- Flat rate applied throughout the day
- This plan is only available in homes with a smart meter
MoveMaster Plan Review
- This plan is suited to people who can move most of their usage to off peak times and benefit from lower rates or from selling solar energy back.
In addition to peak times and off peak times, this plan also has “shoulder off peak times” times that are less expensive than peak times but more expensive than night off-peak times. - The times are defined as follows: peak time is 7am to 9am and 5pm to 9pm, off-peak shoulder times are between 9am to 5 pm and 9pm to 11pm and off-peak night rates (half the price of peak times) run from 11pm to 7am. These times apply every day of the week, there is no distinctions for weekends.
- Electric kiwi offers helpful tips on how to shift usage to off peak times.
The Pros:
- Energy is charged on a clearly defined price structure, if you are able to run your appliances at cheaper times you can make considerable savings
- Highest solar energy buyback rate from out of all Electric Kiwi plans
- Electric Kiwi Hour of Power. Choose a free hour of energy during shoulder off-peak or night time off-peak times. Tips on how to use your free hour of power are outlined here.
- Electric Kiwi App. An innovative application that allows you to update your free Hour of Power, view insights on your power usage, contact Electric Kiwi's live service, get bill alerts, view bills, and more.
Cons:
- This plan is only available in homes with a smart meter
Stay Ahead Plan Review
- Electric Kiwi's Stay Ahead 300 is a hassle-free open-term prepaid plan that bundles broadband and energy
The Pros:
- Open-term contract, no strings attached, no early termination fees
- No surcharges (zero fees) for both direct debit and credit card payments
- Electric Kiwi Hour of Power. Choose a free hour of energy between 9 am to 5 pm and 9 pm to 7 am every day
- Electric Kiwi App. An innovative application that allows you to update your free Hour of Power, view insights on your power usage, contact Electric Kiwi's live service, get bill alerts, view bills, and more.
Cons:
- Your account will automatically be topped up by $300 when you run out of credit
- This plan is only available in homes with a smart meter
3. Electric Kiwi Conclusion - Kiwi Plan vs MoveMaster vs Stay Ahead 300 Plan
To determine which plan best suits your needs, you’ll need to consider the following:
- Total energy consumption (kWh) per year: Electric Kiwi plans are uncomplicated. Your bill has two components, the fixed daily charge and the variable usage rate. The MoveMaster Plan offers the lowest variable rates during off peak times, with their very attractive solar energy buyback option. As for the Stay Ahead 300 Plan, it offers a different pricing structure. It has the lowest daily charges but at the same time and attractive variable rates.
- Flexibility and convenience: Our view is simple - all Electric Kiwi plans are quite flexible. Apart from the power rates, the differentiating factor is the type of plan that you can contract. The Kiwi plan provides the advantage of an open contract. This can be beneficial for both renters and landlords who prefer to have their options open.
- Additional benefits: While all plans share most of the benefits, the MoveMaster plan has the lowest off peak charges and can be very attractive to users who can shift some of their usage to off-peak times. The Stay Ahead 300 plan provides the added advantage of bundling with broadband.
4. Electric Kiwi Frequently Asked Questions
To help you decide if Electric Kiwi is right for your home, we've published a number of frequently asked questions.
What does Electric Kiwi cost per month, and is it the cheapest?
What you pay depends on where you live, how much energy you use and what plan you're on. Our electricity comparison guide has more information about estimated costs and how it compares to other companies.
Is Electric Kiwi available at my address?
Most likely - you'll need to type in your address to see if you're covered. Electric Kiwi requires that customers have a Smart Meter installed.
What does a Electric Kiwi bill look like, and how do I pay?
Electric Kiwi provides a very thorough FAQs section; their Billing section covers the the payment options they accept and many other topics.
Does Electric Kiwi use renewable sources of electricity?
Electric Kiwi does not operate or own power generating plants, instead, it buys the necessary electric power in the NZ wholesale market according to the demand of its customers.
Our Price Leading Power Companies - Fixed Term and Open Term
Getting quotes is an essential step before you switch. Our pricing tables and power comparison research look at average uses, Genesis leads with fixed-term offers and Flick leads with open terms.
Fixed Term: Special Offer With Our Partner Genesis - Rewarding New Zealanders Who Commit to a Great Value Genesis 12-Month Contract:
|
Open Term: Special Offer With Our Partner Flick - Putting the Power Back in Customers Hands:
Looking for more information about power prices? Visit our comprehensive Power Company Comparison guide. |
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