Solar - PowerEdge or Ecotricity?

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cunningdavid

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#323155 31-Oct-2025 15:50

We're getting a solar panel and battery system installed at our home in Auckland, and are down the choosing the electricity provider for import and export.

Price-wise it seems like PowerEdge or Ecotricity are good options, and Octopus are more expensive.

There are lots of reviews online suggesting Ecotricity's customer service is rather poor, but hardly any reviews at all of Ecotricity.

Would anyone have any experience or advice? Thanks in advance!

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#3429700 31-Oct-2025 16:00

I'm currently with Genesis who do 12.5c/kw buyback, I've been shopping around but putting data into ChatGPT I keep landing back at Genesis due to the per-unit charge for imported power being higher with other providers who do a higher per kw buy-back.

So you will need to factor in size of your system and how much power you are likely to be importing when the sun is down or hidden behind clouds

cunningdavid

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#3429713 31-Oct-2025 16:39

Isn't Ecotricity basically Genesis anyway?

Genesis as Genesis charge $0.2686 / kWh, whereas Ecotricity charge $0.1986 / kWh, or am I missing something?

DjShadow

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#3429716 31-Oct-2025 16:46

Should of added I’m in the Wellington region so pricing is going to vary around the country

michelangelonz

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#3429727 31-Oct-2025 19:11

Also check the daily charge.

cunningdavid

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#3429728 31-Oct-2025 19:16

Thanks, yeah I checked that as well. Ecotricity seems to have the edge on price, but I'm worried about the poor customer service reports.

michelangelonz

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#3429731 31-Oct-2025 19:23

I was with Genesis before solar. When I got solar and in review of the plans I decided to stay. The fixed daily charge and day/night rate seemed a better fit for us.

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Jase2985

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#3429733 31-Oct-2025 19:36

cunningdavid:

Isn't Ecotricity basically Genesis anyway?

Genesis as Genesis charge $0.2686 / kWh, whereas Ecotricity charge $0.1986 / kWh, or am I missing something?

yep heaps of things, daily rates, time of use rates, export rates, its not just as simple as a kWh rate

cunningdavid

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#3429793 1-Nov-2025 10:50

Thanks all.

Does anyone have experience of PowerEdge's customer service?

gajan

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#3429797 1-Nov-2025 11:50

https://www.emi.ea.govt.nz/Retail/Reports/R_MSS_C?_si=v|3

has only got data out till 30/9 - but the # ICPs on that retailer is pretty small (88).

My comments and remarks are not necessarily of my employer.

cunningdavid

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#3429799 1-Nov-2025 11:56

Thanks. True, Ecotricity have a lot more with 36943. Just a shame that Ecotricity's online reviews are really pretty bad.

acsylaa

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#3429806 1-Nov-2025 14:14

cunningdavid:

Thanks all.

Does anyone have experience of PowerEdge's customer service?

Customer service is good from power edge, I have been with them for just on 1 year and no issues yet, there has always been some one answering the Phone, Roy I think the guys name is and he's been good to deal with.

Some how i got a Good daily rate with him at 0.60c per day too

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timmmay

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#3429807 1-Nov-2025 14:56

Consider Meridian as well, I get something like 18c solar buyback rate, but it's not published and likely varies around the country.

Customer Service from a power company doesn't matter 99.9% of the time. The only time it really matters is during account setup and during a power outage. Meridian's service was below average signing up for their solar plan because one person seems to do that and they went on leave for a week or two in the middle of us getting signed up. Since then though it's been fine.

richrdh18

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#3430327 3-Nov-2025 08:21

Mid Sep I changed from Genesis after much deliberation and research I went with PowerEdge. Mainly for the better buy back rate but also their daily rate and kw rate was the same. Also prices locked in for 3 years. No contract and can leave anytime, if leaving earlier than 2 years I may have to refund the $150 initial credit they give away. Power Edge bill as per the normal calendar month too, 1 oct to 31 Oct, as they billed me for the last 5 days of Sep. I had to ring them during the initial sign up and they answered the phone straight away, which is good to know. I think this month will be our first negative powerbill and will end up in credit. The jump form 12c to 17c for the buy back made a difference and so does daylight savings.

A win win as far as I can see.

I looked at Ecotricity and yes they offer higher buy back, but only at peak time which is when you'd want to be using your own stored power and not exporting it. Didn't make sense to me...

CYaBro

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#3430330 3-Nov-2025 09:11

Looking at this myself and will go with Meridian.

3 Years fixed price and $300 credit vs $150 from Poweredge.
Same daily rate as Poweredge @ $1.20.

Meridian off peak / night rates run from 9pm-7am vs Poweredge 11pm-7am.

Night rate - 25.8c vs Poweredge - 28.8c
Day rate - 31.49c vs Poweredge - 34.5c

Poweredge don't include the Electricity Authority Levy in their rates so add another $0.0015 per import kW.

Solar Buy Back is basically the same at 17c vs 17.39c with Poweredge.

Just waiting to see if Genesis ever realise that they've stuffed up our account and haven't increased our prices like they said they were going to do in April.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

Quinny

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#3430352 3-Nov-2025 10:09

The big push at the moment is huge solar systems to gain peak buy-back. The problem with this is that the rates might not last or may even end up with generation refused during peak times (see the current Aussie situation)

As you have a battery, a good option is a plan that also lets you charge/fill the battery off-peak (the old version on Contact Good Nights was just this—free 9 pm to midnight). Solar covers the day, timeshifting covers peaks, and top-up covers the rest of the night or bad solar days.

Your most significant cost savings come from timeshifting ( instead of paying 30c or selling for x cents you use the power). You absolutely need to know how much you can timeshift (I can move about 90-95% of my usage to free and cover normal load with part of my generation), how much you use a day, we are 25-30kWh, if you have and EV, things like that.

I am five years into it now and have paid off the solar part. I have free power bills year-round, and the TeslaPowerall provides peace of mind for whole-house backup.

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