moving to electric kiwi

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#1827264 22-Jul-2017 19:13

Stupid Me

When I calced EK to Genesis, I took the EK prices as including GST, didn't notice the Plus GST tick box. I did notice it, but after allowing for Genesis as incl GST and deduct discount to get a true compare I failed to notice it later.

So my 24.5c net for Genesis now compares to 23c not 20c with EK

Oh well. Still a small saving, after I recoup $12 for daily charges, and off course the free hour. But 15% is a big dip!

tdgeek

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#1827440 23-Jul-2017 09:12

How receptive are EK to website suggestions? I'd like to see the estimated monthly bill.

Edit, just fed back to them.

clive100

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#1827451 23-Jul-2017 09:36

Their (EK) website is very informative. You can change your billing period with "When you pay". Then "Bill alert" to adsive if the amount you owe exceeds ($$$ you set)

Plus "Running balance" current amount owing since last bill shown number of days & amount saved % free power over that period.

It's pretty simple to work out where your bill is heading each month using the power used graph and by selecting the last 30 days on the "Analyse your usage between .....dates "

And if you select an individual day you can check your daily cost & hourly power use. There is a lot of information on the website & normally the usage data is only 2-3 days behind.

Of the limited companies I have been with this is the best informative website I have seen & you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand it.

tdgeek

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#1827457 23-Jul-2017 09:54

clive100:

Their (EK) website is very informative. You can change your billing period with "When you pay". Then "Bill alert" to adsive if the amount you owe exceeds ($$$ you set)

Plus "Running balance" current amount owing since last bill shown number of days & amount saved % free power over that period.

It's pretty simple to work out where your bill is heading each month using the power used graph and by selecting the last 30 days on the "Analyse your usage between .....dates "

And if you select an individual day you can check your daily cost & hourly power use. There is a lot of information on the website & normally the usage data is only 2-3 days behind.

Of the limited companies I have been with this is the best informative website I have seen & you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand it.

I agree. Im just used to the estimated monthly average, its a nice one look figure. Yes, I can work out the average over 14 days and gross it up, but thats wasted time. Ive got a feel for the daily average here. Loving the detail though

timmmay

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#1827458 23-Jul-2017 09:56

tdgeek:

How receptive are EK to website suggestions? I'd like to see the estimated monthly bill.

Edit, just fed back to them.

I haven't found them receptive at all, even around changes to static content. I told them how difficult it was to work out what to do with faults, nothing changed.

PhantomNVD

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#1840196 6-Aug-2017 19:46

So, FWIW, I finally got an email response beyond the generic “you either do not have a smart meter, or do not have one we can read” saying they don’t support the smart meter I DO have as it’s 3-phase... setting me up well for developments in EV charging, but preventing me from joining meantime 🙄

Any ideas if flick support 3phase smart meters?

michaelmurfy

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#1840202 6-Aug-2017 19:54

PhantomNVD: So, FWIW, I finally got an email response beyond the generic “you either do not have a smart meter, or do not have one we can read” saying they don’t support the smart meter I DO have as it’s 3-phase... setting me up well for developments in EV charging, but preventing me from joining meantime 🙄

Any ideas if flick support 3phase smart meters?

Flick them an email and ask?

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Aredwood

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#1840295 6-Aug-2017 23:53

PhantomNVD: So, FWIW, I finally got an email response beyond the generic “you either do not have a smart meter, or do not have one we can read” saying they don’t support the smart meter I DO have as it’s 3-phase... setting me up well for developments in EV charging, but preventing me from joining meantime 🙄

Any ideas if flick support 3phase smart meters?

I would be suspicious of this. My bet is that they want to limit how much you can draw in the free hour of power. As in Auckland, (Vector Lines) you can have up to 69KVA (3 phase, 100A per phase) on normal residential pricing plans. A normal house has a 15KVA connection.

Although some other lines companies, have different pricing plans for 3 phase. So if that is the case maybe EK just hasn't bothered implementing them.

All 3 phase smart meters should be able to give you total readings for usage across all 3 phases. So shouldn't be any difference from a billing perspective. Only possible hiccup is that the meter might be programmed to provide more data than residential single phase meters. Power factor, KVAR, Peak Demand etc. So it would just be a case of just taking the data channel or register value that is for KW/Hr

Flick Electric have previously advertised that they can accept business customers. So I would definitely expect them to be able to support 3 phase meters.

There are also houses out there that originally had multiple single phase meters installed. For things like separately metering hot water and / or fixed heating loads. But metering companies have been replacing them with 1x 3 phase meter, instead of multiple single phase meters.

I have also come across a house that was originally 3 phase, but the power pole only has a phase and neutral line on it. And you can see that the lines company has wired all 3 of the phases together. (dodgy single phase conversion, as the neutral to the house will now be undersized) House still has a 3 phase meter installed. House is in an area with lots of trees, and the lines company probably got sick of the trees taking out the neutral. And causing one of the phases to go to 400V.

Wheelbarrow01

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#1840315 7-Aug-2017 08:13

I signed up to Electric Kiwi a few weeks ago and it all seems to be going well. I used one of the codes listed on this thread to get the $50 joiningcredit. I can't remember whose code I used now and I forgot to tell him or her, but no doubt he/she will have received their $50 referral credit by now lol.

My savings appear to be going great guns. My best day was 28/07 when I saved 29.5% using my hour of power. My average savings are 21.3%.

My girlfriend and I start work early so we shower, run the dishwasher and washing machine, and crank the heatpump between 6 and 7 am which seems to be working for us. We don't use the heater for the rest of the day as I light the fire when I get home from work.

clive100

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#1840321 7-Aug-2017 08:29

Aredwood:

PhantomNVD: So, FWIW, I finally got an email response beyond the generic “you either do not have a smart meter, or do not have one we can read” saying they don’t support the smart meter I DO have as it’s 3-phase... setting me up well for developments in EV charging, but preventing me from joining meantime 🙄

Any ideas if flick support 3phase smart meters?

I would be suspicious of this. My bet is that they want to limit how much you can draw in the free hour of power. As in Auckland, (Vector Lines) you can have up to 69KVA (3 phase, 100A per phase) on normal residential pricing plans. A normal house has a 15KVA connection.

Although some other lines companies, have different pricing plans for 3 phase. So if that is the case maybe EK just hasn't bothered implementing them.

That's a good point. Perhaps their price plans are based on the most common single phase household where the addition of an EV charging for 1 hour free off peak @ 3.3KW or 6.6KW (worst case) is not likely to break their bank.

Maybe in the future the EK's fine print will include .... "Free hour of off peak power. T&C's & fair use policy apply"

fizzychicken

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#1843651 10-Aug-2017 16:21

Didn't read the small print. Actually I just didn't read the regular text right below where I was clicking.

I had a scheduled period of disconnected power at my house this month on 03/08 so on the night of 02/08 I changed the hour of power to 6am to 7am and set up all stuff like heating to warm the house before the power cutoff at 8am. On the night of the third I changed it back to my normal 9am to 10am free hour. Of course I didnt read that it changes for the very same day, not the following day like I thought it would, so what I ended up with was 6am to 7am on 02/08 when I hardly used any power and 9am to 10am when the power was disconnected, resulting in 0% power saved over two days instead of what would have probably been 12%ish. It's my fault for not reading it clearly but I think allowing someone to change an hour of power for a time that has already passed is a bit odd, especially when the graph never shows the current date and the final dates that are on there are always estimates.

I think long enough has passed now to realise that I should stop looking at their website because the data cannot be trusted until the bill is produced, Im either having to point out to them when I had no power or the usage reporting changes from estimated to actual at unknown and inconsistent times. Currently I think I would have been better sticking to Genesis.

https://keybase.io/fizzychicken

timmmay

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#1843662 10-Aug-2017 16:44

I think that's a PEBKAC class of problem ;) Usage data seems accurate, it just takes 2-4 days to appear.

clive100

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#1843665 10-Aug-2017 16:47

@fizzychicken

That is strange to here you say about estimated readings with EK power graph.

Surely as the data is uploaded via a smart meter it is 100% accurate when it is made available to the service provider to process into their website.

My EK data is normally 2 days behind but always the actual value of power consumed per 30 min slot & the correct time shown of when that power was consumed.

Firstly How would they (EK) load estimated data onto graph prior to receiving the data & secondly what would be the point If estimated data to be corrected with real consumption fiquires within 24-48 hours ?

That just doesn't sound right to me.

fizzychicken

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#1843679 10-Aug-2017 17:07

clive100:

@fizzychicken

That is strange to here you say about estimated readings with EK power graph.

Surely as the data is uploaded via a smart meter it is 100% accurate when it is made available to the service provider to process into their website.

My EK data is normally 2 days behind but always the actual value of power consumed per 30 min slot & the correct time shown of when that power was consumed.

Firstly How would they (EK) load estimated data onto graph prior to receiving the data & secondly what would be the point If estimated data to be corrected with real consumption fiquires within 24-48 hours ?

That just doesn't sound right to me.

I first found out about estimated data earlier in this thread when I talk about going without power for a day due to a tree removal taking the lines down, I had to point out that it was impossible for the graph to be accurate as there physically was no power line to my house at the time. I have since seen similar issues where after a period of time the graph changes, EK state that they are provided estimated data from the meter provider.

https://keybase.io/fizzychicken

clive100

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#1843696 10-Aug-2017 17:49

Ok so the estimated data is supplied to EK. Not EK themselves adding it. So why is the meter provider giving estimated data instead of uploading the actual data ? Again this seems like strange behaviour.

What is the point of having these high tech smart meters if the data is temporarily fudged until they get around to uploading it. I'm sure this strange practise does not affect the majority of EK customers.

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