I'd recommend holding out. In most cases you're still better off over the year.

As I mentioned before, for those living in Canterbury they're get a bad deal with Flick. I've monitored their prices since winter and it's very clear the price is consistently higher than what you can get with Genesis Energy. Below is a screenshot of their Dashboard app take earlier in the month. I use this to guage an indication of pricing where the needle shows as i'm no longer a Flick customer.



Despite not using Flick as my electricity provider, i'm still allowed to log in to check my previous bills (below is taken today). What's missing is the actual price shown but the needle still works. Compare the above and below needle positions.



I would estimate prices for Christchurch people now is in the 40c/kW/hr range - a huge increase to Genesis's 29c/kW/hr fixed rate during the day (from 7am to 9pm). It's hot today and I can tell people are using the AC. Perhaps Flick has little control of the power rates that Orion (who own the electrical network in Canterbury) charges. I ask others in Christchurch to compare their rates.

@SBQ How Flick works (and what people don't understand) is you can't compare your rates "just now", you have to compare over an entire year. There are going to be spikes in pricing however you have to think the other retailers are paying this as well. During the dips the other retailers are still charging you the same but pocketing the difference.

Over the year yes you may "save" during the spikes but ultimately you lose out when the power price is normal. You're actually paying a hell of a lot more over the year compared to those on spot energy pricing. I am not bothered, I am using my power as normal even during some of the spikes and am still $300 better off than if I was with the 2nd cheapest electricity provider over the year (including the spikes). I did change to Electric Kiwi for a few months last year but was paying on average $10 per week more for my use.

No matter what you do, you'll always lose if you're only thinking about the short term. 

michaelmurfy:

 

No matter what you do, you'll always lose if you're only thinking about the short term. 

 

As I said before, i've been watching the Flick Dashboard for over 6 months (but been with them for almost 2 years) - I mean almost every hour during the day and night before bed. Last year during the summer it was a saver but now, it's just plain rip off because over 90% of the time, their posted rates were higher than Genesis rates. My highest bill with them was in July / August $420. My lowest Flick was $80 in Jan 2017. But lately i've been watching real close and In Nov and Dec it became clear, the MONTHLY price I paid with Flick has been MUCH higher at $150 (a bill i've never had that high when I was with Genesis). Maybe it's the Orion network putting higher surcharges. I don't know. But I do know which price HAS been higher for the past 9 or 10 months and to me, being with Flick over this period has not be saving. Despite their last bill I received (today) showed I had $420 in savings.

I call on to others in Christchurch to compare Genesis Energy's price plan https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/for-home/pricing-plans/electricity-pricing-plans/christchurch
Their Day / Night Classic Plan (not lower user rate) of 12.16 c/kW/hr & 29.27 c/kW/hr. For those on the low user rate, Genesis day / night is 10.47 night and 27.58. 

Another problem I noticed with Flick is the yoyo price action within a short time frame. I mean this 30 mins would be like 13c and the next 30 minutes would be like 20c and then next 30 mins, down to 14 or so and then over 23c. So when you decide to run the washing machine or oven that runs for over an hour, well you can work out the average price is somewhere a lot higher, especially when their prices havn't really been near Genesis's rates above.

Will the next few months be any different? How about in the winter months? Something tells me there won't be any savings with Flick

SBQ:

 

michaelmurfy:

 

No matter what you do, you'll always lose if you're only thinking about the short term. 

 

 

As I said before, i've been watching the Flick Dashboard for over 6 months (but been with them for almost 2 years) - I mean almost every hour during the day and night before bed. Last year during the summer it was a saver but now, it's just plain rip off because over 90% of the time, their posted rates were higher than Genesis rates. My highest bill with them was in July / August $420. My lowest Flick was $80 in Jan 2017. But lately i've been watching real close and In Nov and Dec it became clear, the MONTHLY price I paid with Flick has been MUCH higher at $150 (a bill i've never had that high when I was with Genesis). Maybe it's the Orion network putting higher surcharges. I don't know. But I do know which price HAS been higher for the past 9 or 10 months and to me, being with Flick over this period has not be saving. Despite their last bill I received (today) showed I had $420 in savings.

I call on to others in Christchurch to compare Genesis Energy's price plan https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/for-home/pricing-plans/electricity-pricing-plans/christchurch
Their Day / Night Classic Plan (not lower user rate) of 12.16 c/kW/hr & 29.27 c/kW/hr. For those on the low user rate, Genesis day / night is 10.47 night and 27.58. 

Another problem I noticed with Flick is the yoyo price action within a short time frame. I mean this 30 mins would be like 13c and the next 30 minutes would be like 20c and then next 30 mins, down to 14 or so and then over 23c. So when you decide to run the washing machine or oven that runs for over an hour, well you can work out the average price is somewhere a lot higher, especially when their prices havn't really been near Genesis's rates above.

 

Will the next few months be any different? How about in the winter months? Something tells me there won't be any savings with Flick

 

You need to re read @michaelmurfy post. If you stay with Flick for a full year you should be better off. You cant complain about sucking it up now, then when its cheeeeep you just enjoy it. Im with EK, I prefer that than messing with spot pricing. AsMichael implied (I think) if you stick with someone it should be better for you

Why has my EK gone from 23c and 84c to .2502c and 82c? I just started a chat, I have had no advice of a price increase

EDIT

I got an email didnt read it! On chat they dropped my rate to .2132 and .71 + GST if I stay for 12 months, so I did. 

tdgeek:

Why has my EK gone from 23c and 84c to .2502c and 82c? I just started a chat, I have had no advice of a price increase

You need to re read @michaelmurfy post. If you stay with Flick for a full year you should be better off. You cant complain about sucking it up now, then when its cheeeeep you just enjoy it. Im with EK, I prefer that than messing with spot pricing. AsMichael implied (I think) if you stick with someone it should be better for you

 

I've been with Flick for almost 2 years. What i'm complaining is that since winter, their price has been consistently higher than other competing electricity retailers. Sure I understand the past winter was a dry season and expected to pay high spot prices. But in the summer months now, what has changed compared to the low bills I had in 2017 summer? OK we may be  bit hotter than usual but we're not experiencing major electricity shortages. Why has Flick's price been consistently higher for the past few months? What if the next 6 months Flick doesn't have prices that are lower 'overall' to other competitors? You know sooner or later it becomes clear that Flick's pricing model just doesn't provide real savings. You don't have to be with them for a full year to experience it.

I'll be following Flick into winter to see if they're really cheaper. They weren't cheaper in winter months, and they're not cheaper now in summer months. What will change in the next 6 months? Only time will tell.

FYI, Genesis is giving me 15% discount - so basically their advertised rate is that vs Flick you add the GST. 15% alone is considerable savings (meaning Flick needs to have rates 15% less than ie night rate 12c/kw/hr to be competitive).

It's past 9pm now and we should be on night rate. But the Flick Dashboard now shows well over 20c/kw/hr. That's a far cry difference to 12c !!!

Flick is always up and down. I mostly just ignore it but shift some things (eg - using the dryer) to overnight when it is cheaper. It has its pros, and also keeps my bills low as my sister keeps trying to use the oven to cook a single leg of Chicken (and I can say to her don't else it'll bankrupt me).

But really though - I am close to $300 better off compared to EK over the year.

SBQ:

 

I call on to others in Christchurch to compare Genesis Energy's price plan https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/for-home/pricing-plans/electricity-pricing-plans/christchurch
Their Day / Night Classic Plan (not lower user rate) of 12.16 c/kW/hr & 29.27 c/kW/hr. For those on the low user rate, Genesis day / night is 10.47 night and 27.58. 

Small point, but I think you have that the wrong way around, low users pay a lower daily charge and a higher per unit charge.

I've just shifted to Genesis myself, with the $150 signup bonus I'm fairly sure I won't be worse off. Flick is cheaper if there is lots of water in the lakes, but right now the lakes are low and the snow pack is also poor. This can change quickly, and there should be decent rainfall later this week, but personally the gamble is not worth it. Flick changed the way they pass through Orion lines charges last year, and this made it less attractive to me. Unless the spot price is below 6c per kw/hr then genesis night rates are cheaper, and flick only wins during the day, and on weekends where flick charges off peak during the day whereas genesis charge full day rates.

If you have a decent sized hot water cylinder I would highly recommend getting your ripple control profile changed so that you only heat your hot water overnight. Your power company can get Orion to reconfigure this (in most cases for a fee, but the pay back is quick). 

Flick now lets you download data from 1 July 17 in csv (not with pricing data unfortunatly) there are scrapers in this thread that allow that however).

Compare the "Genesis/meridian etc price do the math and see if you're better off yourself.

https://myflick.flickelectric.co.nz/dashboard/usage_data

I will post some of my dashboard data so others can see how the pricing looks since August 2016 tonight...

mentalinc:

 

Flick now lets you download data from 1 July 17 in csv (not with pricing data unfortunatly) there are scrapers in this thread that allow that however).

 

Compare the "Genesis/meridian etc price do the math and see if you're better off yourself.

 

https://myflick.flickelectric.co.nz/dashboard/usage_data

 

 

 

I will post some of my dashboard data so others can see how the pricing looks since August 2016 tonight...

 

And if you're really in a spreadsheeting mood, you could use the futures market spot price in your Flick calculations

https://www.asx.com.au/asx/markets/futuresPriceList.do?code=ED&type=FUTURE