Power - Changing from Low User to Standard User for just Winter

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Paul1977

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#215303 21-Jun-2017 10:51

For my location and power supplier, low user is classed as under 9000kWh per year, which averages out to 24kWh per day.

In the summer months I am always well under 24kWh per day, but in the Winter months I am always over.

Should I be able to change from Low User to Standard user for just Winter and then change back in Summer?

Powershop said they "don't usually" allow you to change more than once a year. Is this correct, or should I be able to change whenever I want based on my usage at the time?

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timmmay

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#1804541 21-Jun-2017 11:19

You could always ask another power company this question. Flick and Electric Kiwi are both popular, but now isn't the time to move to Flick given the high spot prices.

jonathan18

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#1804555 21-Jun-2017 11:37

I've been looking into the same question this morning. I'm in the process of moving to Electric Kiwi (from Flick), and they too say they allow one "free" shift per year from low to standard or the other way around.

EK say the "low user" benchmark is 8000; I calculate my annual usage Jun 16-May 17 at 9,200, but breaking that down by month there's a benefit of being on the standard rates for only the three winter months (Jun-Aug). In total the $ difference of remaining on the low user all year would be (based on those past figures) $5 additional cost over those three months but a saving of $80 over the remaining nine months. (Given these figures don't account for the hour of free power, which is far more useful in winter as we're using the ducted heatpump daily, charged-for consumption will reduce so the difference over winter will be even less.)

Perhaps it's worth doing the equivalent calculations and seeing if it actually amounts to a decent level of savings for it to be worth switching.

richms

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#1804571 21-Jun-2017 12:19

If the current power company wont let you change then I am sure a new one would let you chance. So once per year change power company onto standard rates, then in september or whenever change to low user on that power company. Next winter change to a new power co again.

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Paul1977

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#1804577 21-Jun-2017 12:28

Thanks guys.

Sounds like the norm is only one "free" change per year. I'll contact Powershop again and see if there is a fee/penalty involved for changing more than once - from that I could work out whether the savings outweigh the penalty.

Don't really want to change companies, but I will look into it to see how the rates compare.

timmmay

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#1804594 21-Jun-2017 12:56

Like Rich says, changing power companies is trivially easy, so I wouldn't pay a fee. I'd just switch. They'll soon get the idea if a lot of people do it.

Paul1977

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#1804749 21-Jun-2017 16:41

Well, over the phone the other day they had said they usually only did this once a year. However when I emailed the same query to get a written response, they just replied back saying they have changed it for me and to let them know in Summer when we want it changed back.

So I'm very happy with this outcome from Powershop, as it sounds like this isn't the norm.