Article coming up on One news record profits for power companies

I just tried giving copilot a copy of my last bill incl a month's worth of Solar Data for something to compare to then dropped in quotes from most of the retailers.

It's suggested a switch to Meridian's Solar Plan with powershop close behind, it put Electric Kiwi as the worst

DjShadow:

 

I just tried giving copilot a copy of my last bill incl a month's worth of Solar Data for something to compare to then dropped in quotes from most of the retailers.

 

It's suggested a switch to Meridian's Solar Plan with powershop close behind, it put Electric Kiwi as the worst

 

I'm curious, how far off the mark were Octopus and Ecotricity?

A year ago I was paying 13.91/ kwh to Mercury with a $2.01 daily charge, which was admittedly a very low rate, a holdover from some special offer a couple of years earlier. Now it's 22.02/kwh with a $2.60 daily charge with Meridian. That's 60% more for power and 30% higher daily charge. Solar is a no-brainer if you can afford the up front investment or get the low interest loan.

Linux:

 

Article coming up on One news record profits for power companies

 

RNZ on the case too

Genesis Energy a 'fair proposition' despite some customers bills increasing by 30% 
Genesis Energy cannot guarantee its customers won't receive further price increases this year. [...]
The company has also just revealed a massive bump in profit.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/587802/genesis-energy-a-fair-proposition-despite-some-customers-bills-increasing-by-30-percent

Meridian Energy says households could face power bill increases of up to seven percent this year, mostly due to lines and transmission charges.

The country's biggest power generator returned to profitability in the half-year ended December, posting a bottom-line profit of $227 million, compared to the previous year's dry-year-driven loss of $121m.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/587920/meridian-warns-households-could-face-power-bill-increases-up-to-seven-percent 

timmmay:

 

A year ago I was paying 13.91/ kwh to Mercury with a $2.01 daily charge, which was admittedly a very low rate, a holdover from some special offer a couple of years earlier. Now it's 22.02/kwh with a $2.60 daily charge with Meridian. That's 60% more for power and 30% higher daily charge. Solar is a no-brainer if you can afford the up front investment or get the low interest loan.

 

i would be happen paying that. I am paying over 30cents per unit off peak and 70 cents on peak between 5-9pm. Daily rate is the same but increases every year. 

HarmLessSolutions:

 

DjShadow:

 

I just tried giving copilot a copy of my last bill incl a month's worth of Solar Data for something to compare to then dropped in quotes from most of the retailers.

 

It's suggested a switch to Meridian's Solar Plan with powershop close behind, it put Electric Kiwi as the worst

 

 

I'm curious, how far off the mark were Octopus and Ecotricity?

 

The last Genesis Bill I got was $59.97, when I got it to figure out the amount based on the increase I got $80.62

Octopus would of been $90.44 and Ecotricity would of been $84.50

Electric Kiwi would of been $146.08

DjShadow:

 

HarmLessSolutions:

 

I'm curious, how far off the mark were Octopus and Ecotricity?

 

 

The last Genesis Bill I got was $59.97, when I got it to figure out the amount based on the increase I got $80.62

 

Octopus would of been $90.44 and Ecotricity would of been $84.50

 

Electric Kiwi would of been $146.08

 

So what was Meridian's projected total, and did your AI info include GST on export in Ecotricity's, and PowerEdge's, totals?

DjShadow:

 

I just tried giving copilot a copy of my last bill incl a month's worth of Solar Data for something to compare to then dropped in quotes from most of the retailers.

 

It's suggested a switch to Meridian's Solar Plan with powershop close behind, it put Electric Kiwi as the worst

 

Did you check the results from AI?

AI can produce some pretty dimwitted results when it comes to maths and should never be blindly trusted.  Putting everything into a spreadsheet can be much more reliable.

A little late to the conversation but here was the unpleasant news I got from Octopus yesterday (Palmy Nth) I'll be jumping ship.

Got my Octopus email too

Your OctopusFlexi - Standard User rates Your current and new prices are shown in the table below (including GST). The new rates take effect on 1st April 2026.

Shindig:

 

Got my Octopus email too

 

Your OctopusFlexi - Standard User rates Your current and new prices are shown in the table below (including GST). The new rates take effect on 1st April 2026.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quite a few Octopus posts I have seen show peak charge dropping, and much better off peak rates than I get, but with dearer daily charge. I guess a combo of location plus your usage data? My peak rate jumped a lot.

The way these notifications are written really does highlight how are a vey much the 'price takers' in this relationship.  For those of us with solar - even as providers of a valuable commodity (energy), we have basically no say in what we get paid, and what we pay for grid connection.

A real David and Goliath situation.

Of course - we can shop around, but in practice, with doing similiar things with prices, we still have very little influence.

It makes it hard to plan long term - RoI based upon a particular daily charge, or FiT, can be turned upside down overnight.

Though - in all probability -with the cost of electricity going up faster than inflation, and solar capex trending down, the case for solar is likely to keep getting stronger.

The case for batteries is likely to improve if the FiT drops to just a few cents per kWh, as it has across Australia.

$3.66 for the daily charge means you're paying minimum ~$100+ a month just for the power connection. Yikes.

KiwiSurfer:

 

$3.66 for the daily charge means you're paying minimum ~$100+ a month just for the power connection. Yikes.

 

Alot of the providers I'm looking at now are charging these daily rates.

You can't avoid it...