from what I hear P'Shop are now not really any cheaper for low users......

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7633494/Rising-bills-anger-Powershop-customers

timmmay: I'm not with Powershop, I'm with Meridian, same company I believe. In Wellington I pay 23c/kwh, my bill varies between $120 in summer and $350 in winter so I'm not a low user.

heapsort: I just checked our Powershop transactions for our home in Chch, over the year to today.

We've purchased approx 6500 units for $1550 = an average 24.1 cents per unit.

But we actually spent closer to $1450 because of the nearly $100 saved through the Christchurch weekend rebate (we get given 5c/kWh back for any weekend daytime usage), so it comes down to 22.5 cents per unit.

Then, for more direct comparison with other providers, let's deduct 38c per day inc GST as a typical low user fixed daily charge, and it comes down further to an equivalent 20.7 cents per kWh over the past year.

A quick check at powerswitch.org.nz claims there are several "better" plans for us and Powershop barely makes the top 10, but what we've actually spent with Powershop beats them all.

The Powerswitch website seems incompatible with the Powershop business model. Maybe Powerswitch gives reasonable advice for users who would just "set and forget" if they were with Powershop, maybe it doesn't, I don't know. But because I'm in a region with weekend rebates and tend to take advantage of most Powershop specials - two factors the Powerswitch calculator doesn't incorporate - it gives very incorrect advice for me.