New Zealanders continue to save money on their electricity bills

Six months on from the launch of the Electricity Authority’s ‘What’s My Number’ campaign more than 430,000 New Zealanders have used www.whatsmynumber.org.nz to find out how much they could save on their electricity bills. This represents estimated potential savings for New Zealanders of over $67 million annually.

In November alone, 34,532 consumers switched electricity suppliers, representing a daily average of 1,151 making the switch – an increase of 18.6% on the same time period last year. Since the campaign started, switching numbers have been higher than the same time last year.

Also, since the launch of the campaign, several power companies have offered discounts and developed competitive pricing plans in an effort to retain customers. A clear sign that power companies are starting to respond to increased consumer activity.

“Our aim is to help New Zealanders shop around for electricity and to encourage a more competitive and innovative industry,” says Authority Chief Executive, Carl Hansen.

“Just six months on, we believe we are well on the way to educating consumers about checking their number – but we’re not sitting back now, there is an ongoing need to remind consumers that they have a choice of electricity provider, and that it’s worth shopping around to get the best deal.”

The `What’s My Number’ campaign, conducted by the Authority in partnership with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Consumer NZ, aims to help New Zealanders make more informed choices about their electricity suppliers.

The www.whatsmynumber.org.nz website enables people to quickly identify their estimated savings using a simple calculator. People wanting to access the estimated savings can then link to the Consumer NZ’s Powerswitch site www.powerswitch.org.nz to confirm details and initiate the switch to a new retailer.

For more information visit www.whatsmynumber.org.nz.