OurPower - New electricity provider run by WEL Networks

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billgates

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#265685 5-Feb-2020 11:37

Anyone heard of them or using them? I moved over from Flick Electric to OurPower in Hamilton couple of weeks ago and my weekly bill has gone down by $12 - $15 mainly because there is no daily charge. There is just a flat charge of 20c + GST per kWh. There is email only support and no phone number. I have been advised that it is manned by only 2 staff members. No marketing either hence very low overheads and they run their own office via solar power.

There is no prompt payment discount or refer friends discounts etc. One of my new work colleagues signed up to it when it was invite only and told me about it. I signed up online but it took about a week for them to confirm that I am eligible to sign up. Only available in areas where WEL Networks coverage is.

Dashboard is decent although not as good as Flick. No phone app either. It is very simple but also very cheap service!

https://www.ourpower.co.nz/

Do whatever you want to do man.

1 | 2

4652 posts

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#2412961 5-Feb-2020 11:53

Only available in areas where WEL Networks coverage

Pretty sure there are rules about lines companies not being retailers...... especially in the area where they have a regulated lines monopoly...

it will be interesting to see how this develops...

timmmay

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#2412962 5-Feb-2020 11:55

Seems like a good deal. We're currently paying less with Electric Kiwi through making use of the free hour of power for water / dishwasher / clothes drier / air conditioning, but if someone couldn't automate that Our Power might be cheaper.

Shapenz

333 posts

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#2413019 5-Feb-2020 12:52

Says it's available to us but we don't have a smart meter - wonder how that'd work?

DjShadow

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#2413026 5-Feb-2020 13:04

Shapenz:

Says it's available to us but we don't have a smart meter - wonder how that'd work?

The FAQs say they will install one if possible

Shapenz

333 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2413028 5-Feb-2020 13:05

DjShadow:

The FAQs say they will install one if possible

Ahh yes, reading before asking questions - that would have helped me there

billgates

4196 posts

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#2413055 5-Feb-2020 13:49

Shapenz:
Says it's available to us but we don't have a smart meter - wonder how that'd work?

I was advised by the website the same. I submitted the 'Join' form regardless as advised by their support team and they connected me within a week.

Do whatever you want to do man.

evilengineer

280 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2413167 5-Feb-2020 16:27

We've just switched over to Our Power and got the confirmation email that the change over is complete this morning.

Should get our first bill next week.

The website is a bit basic. No consumption graphs which is a bit of a bummer.

But on the face of it, should be way cheaper than what Genesis were charging us.

They did come round and swap out the previously installed Genesis smart meter for a WEL one for some (probably commercial) reason.

JonnyCam

570 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2415612 10-Feb-2020 15:52

wellygary:

Only available in areas where WEL Networks coverage

Pretty sure there are rules about lines companies not being retailers...... especially in the area where they have a regulated lines monopoly...

it will be interesting to see how this develops...

Yeah, the directors OurPwer are the CE & CFO of Wel Networks.

Wel Networls own a holding company (same directors) which owns OurPower Ltd, which in turn owns OurPower retail.

Seems pretty close, but I think there is a arms length provision in the act, as long as their corporate governance is ok?

evilengineer

280 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2415627 10-Feb-2020 16:51

JonnyCam:

wellygary:

Only available in areas where WEL Networks coverage

Pretty sure there are rules about lines companies not being retailers...... especially in the area where they have a regulated lines monopoly...

it will be interesting to see how this develops...

Yeah, the directors OurPwer are the CE & CFO of Wel Networks.

Wel Networls own a holding company (same directors) which owns OurPower Ltd, which in turn owns OurPower retail.

Seems pretty close, but I think there is a arms length provision in the act, as long as their corporate governance is ok?

I can only imagine it got through WEL's legal team before they launched the service.

As long as they're charging themselves (Our Power) the same transmission fees as they charge every other power company is there are problem?

Doesn't seem any worse from a competition perspective than the big power companies doing retail and generation at the same time.

bzbetty

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#2424284 19-Feb-2020 22:52

If I remember correctly there's something like a 10 MW limit on a distributor retailing power, which gets higher if you put in certain regulations around the two entities in question. So essentially they're limited in size but can take advantage of closer communication between businesses, less support and a few other things to lower costs.

sparkz25

540 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2424303 20-Feb-2020 06:36

Been with them for well over a year now pretty much since they started, you pay weekly and the 20c flat rate is great, I have a few servers running all day every day and my bill was quite high with a previous provider since changing to our power my bill has dropped to 150-200 a month on a bad month.

I'm picking because well no longer do the rebate at the end of the financial year they decided to take a different approach and start-up our power.

So far there have been great notifications around power outages in our area because they are wel networks so the outages get emailed, our previous provider had no idea when there were going to be outages or when there was a car vs pole down the road they were not informed.

I have mentioned it to many people and they have all changed to our power and are saving a lot on their power bills, some were around 300 a month.