Hello and a question about Contact Energy Broadband...

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weegie

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#246714 18-Feb-2019 20:12

Hi peeps,

Noob here, in more ways than one! Think I've read this forum in the past during the googlez for info on tech stuff.

Wondering if anyone has any experience of Contact Energy Broadband? Done a search and can't find any personal experience of their service.

New to NZ and don't want a contract until I'm more settled. Seems like a good deal for broadband and electricity.

Thanks in advance.

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meow
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#2183231 18-Feb-2019 20:31

It is actually rather expensive. For me, I'll be looking at around $30/mo more than what I am paying now for a comparable service.

Look into Flick Electric (On their Fixie plan) along with 2degrees Broadband - if you have an on-account mobile with 2degrees you can save $10/mo. There is also a $200 credit offer with 2degrees currently.

Bundled offers (Power + Broadband) work out quite expensive and what is worse is both utilities are contracted together.

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Aredwood

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#2183237 18-Feb-2019 20:42

Also be careful with Contact for power. As their open term rates are often more expensive. As they want you to go onto a fixed term contract.

I have no knowledge about their Internet. Dont know if they run their own network or if they resell access to another companies Internet.

Also important with power. All companies offer standard user and low user pricing plans. Low user will be cheaper if you will use less than 8000 units per year of power. Otherwise go on a standard user plan. Typically the power company will default to the plan type used by the last people who lived in your house. So you may be on the wrong plan.

weegie

15 posts

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#2183323 18-Feb-2019 23:12

Aredwood: Also be careful with Contact for power. As their open term rates are often more expensive. As they want you to go onto a fixed term contract.

I have no knowledge about their Internet. Dont know if they run their own network or if they resell access to another companies Internet.

Also important with power. All companies offer standard user and low user pricing plans. Low user will be cheaper if you will use less than 8000 units per year of power. Otherwise go on a standard user plan. Typically the power company will default to the plan type used by the last people who lived in your house. So you may be on the wrong plan.

Thanks aredwood.

New to NZ utilities. I've done a lot of online comparisons and Contact Energy come out in the top 4 based on estimates. I assumed the $64/mth fibre broadband and free router/modem was cheap enough to absorb whatever "little extras" the electricity comes to...

Estimated rates with the online quote (low user - single person household):

daily charge 33.3c;

all day economy 27.2c/kwh

ea levy 0.13c/kwh

ETA: oh boy! Contact Energy's rates are excl GST! Found it in the blurb. Still poor?

The best electricity quote i got online was Powershop: unit charge 25.2c/kwh, daily charge 34.5c and no ea levy.

I assumed the small differences would be insignificant...

weegie

15 posts

Geek

#2183324 18-Feb-2019 23:16

michaelmurfy:

It is actually rather expensive. For me, I'll be looking at around $30/mo more than what I am paying now for a comparable service.

Look into Flick Electric (On their Fixie plan) along with 2degrees Broadband - if you have an on-account mobile with 2degrees you can save $10/mo. There is also a $200 credit offer with 2degrees currently.

Bundled offers (Power + Broadband) work out quite expensive and what is worse is both utilities are contracted together.

Meant to reply to you but somehow replied Aredwood!

Basically, I thought the small differences in my next best provider would be offset by the cheaper broadband. Assuming the broadband is any good...

I'll check out Flick Electric, thank you. I'm with Skinny for mobile..

Is there a "thanks" button here?

weegie

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#2183327 18-Feb-2019 23:32

Hmm...

Just checked Flick on the Freestyle plan per comparison site:

Plan Charges(incl. GST)

Aredwood

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#2183329 18-Feb-2019 23:39

@weegie Actually small differences in the unit price can quickly add up. As the fixed daily charge is only around $10 per month.

If your house is all electric (electric hot water, heating, and cooking). You could easily use a large amount of power over winter. The high per unit price also means a large spike in winter bills, which you need to budget for. As most power companies have large prompt payment discounts (which are actually late payment fees). Lots of low income people get caught out by that each winter. Due to having an extra 20% or so added onto their bills. Until they are able to clear the overdue amount. Lots of people pay well over double the monthly cost of their summer power bills during winter. And that is considered perfectly normal in NZ.

Just saying, as the above is likely completely new to you. As lots of overseas power companies charge much higher fixed fees, but much lower rates per unit of power used. And / or you had gas for hot water and heating. Which would mean that the ratio between summer and winter bills would be alot less in your home country.

Have a look at the power company Electric Kiwi. As they offer 1 hour per day of free electricity. You can choose which hour, but it has to be off peak. Depending on your lifestyle, you might be able to make large savings with them.

michaelmurfy

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#2183330 18-Feb-2019 23:43

@weegie Look at Fixie - you'll need to enter an address to check.

Freestyle is spot pricing so charged at the 30min market rate which could spike - it isn't too good to join currently. There is also Electric Kiwi (https://www.electrickiwi.co.nz/) who are a bit more expensive but have an hour of free power each day and also Energy Club (https://energyclubnz.com/) who seem quite good but again, a little more expensive.

These few cents can add up quite quickly - The price you quoted for Contact was actually rather expensive. For comparison, I pay 22.5c/unit with Flick currently.

(also instaban for anyone who posts a referral link for Electric Kiwi in this thread - you've been warned).

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weegie

15 posts

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#2183466 19-Feb-2019 10:09

Aredwood: @weegie Actually small differences in the unit price can quickly add up. As the fixed daily charge is only around $10 per month.

If your house is all electric (electric hot water, heating, and cooking). You could easily use a large amount of power over winter. The high per unit price also means a large spike in winter bills, which you need to budget for. As most power companies have large prompt payment discounts (which are actually late payment fees). Lots of low income people get caught out by that each winter. Due to having an extra 20% or so added onto their bills. Until they are able to clear the overdue amount. Lots of people pay well over double the monthly cost of their summer power bills during winter. And that is considered perfectly normal in NZ.

Just saying, as the above is likely completely new to you. As lots of overseas power companies charge much higher fixed fees, but much lower rates per unit of power used. And / or you had gas for hot water and heating. Which would mean that the ratio between summer and winter bills would be alot less in your home country.

Have a look at the power company Electric Kiwi. As they offer 1 hour per day of free electricity. You can choose which hour, but it has to be off peak. Depending on your lifestyle, you might be able to make large savings with them.

Thanks for this. You're right, as opposed to my previous abode, current accommodation is all electric.

I was planning to set up a direct debit (0.95% charge) in order to take advantage of the discount - which would then be about 19%..

Hmm... seems like the carrot - no contract broadband and free modem might not swing things too far in my favour.

Need to plan.

weegie

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#2183469 19-Feb-2019 10:15

michaelmurfy:

@weegie Look at Fixie - you'll need to enter an address to check.

Freestyle is spot pricing so charged at the 30min market rate which could spike - it isn't too good to join currently. There is also Electric Kiwi (https://www.electrickiwi.co.nz/) who are a bit more expensive but have an hour of free power each day and also Energy Club (https://energyclubnz.com/) who seem quite good but again, a little more expensive.

These few cents can add up quite quickly - The price you quoted for Contact was actually rather expensive. For comparison, I pay 22.5c/unit with Flick currently.

(also instaban for anyone who posts a referral link for Electric Kiwi in this thread - you've been warned).

Is that Flick rate incl GST? Standard user? That's amazing! Didn't get that option when I checked Flick with the low user plan...

On Freestyle, our spot price plan, it'll cost about (ex-GST)

$101.44 per < month

$0.205 / kWh*
and $0.300 / day

On FIXIE, our fixed wholesale plan, it'll cost about (ex-GST)

$105.50 per < month

$0.214 / kWh*
and $0.300 / day

michaelmurfy

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#2183481 19-Feb-2019 10:34

Yep Flick are excluding GST with their plans.

There is some benefit to going towards Freestyle but not currently I’m afraid as it isn’t fixed pricing. Going with a fixed provider will be better for you currently.

Aredwood

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#2184040 20-Feb-2019 00:42

@weegie also keep in mind, that power prices (even from the same company). Are different in different parts of NZ. Which is due to different companies which own the power lines in different parts of NZ. So comparing prices is often pointless, unless you know that the person who you are comparing to. Is connected to the same power lines network as you. And is on the same pricing plan.

And to make things even more complicated. There are different metering and control setups on different properties and / or areas. Some people (like myself) are on uncontrolled (also called anytime) plans - no restrictions on when I can use power.

Other people have power to their hot water cylinder able to be remotely switched off and on by the lines company. And they receive cheaper power in exchange. Others have the hot water cylinder and sometimes fixed wired heaters, only provided with power late at night. And there are different meter combinations as well. Sometimes 1 meter for the whole property. Sometimes different meters for different circuits. (separate meter for just hot water is a common example) And different prices charged depending on which meter the electricity went through.

I'm in Auckland, on low user uncontrolled (power lines owned by Vector LTD) Power retailer I'm signed up to is Meridian Energy. And I'm paying 23.38c per unit inc GST (no prompt payment discounts) Although I'm also on a fixed term contract for power. So that price is probably no longer available now.

There is also a law, which says that low user price plans are not allowed to have fixed daily fees any higher than 33c per day. (I personally think that law should be scrapped).

nzlogan

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#2184042 20-Feb-2019 03:36

I'd also recommend looking into Pulse Energy. They don't seem to have much on their website regarding their prices/offers, but we had a door-to-door salesperson offer us a deal to beat Electric Kiwi. We pay 18.4c/kWh (inc. GST) uncontrolled which is fixed for two years (no contact though). I believe we were paying 21c/kWh with Electric Kiwi, so even with no longer having the Hour of Power it works out cheaper. This is in the South Island though, so cheaper prices anyway, but with 6 people and all electric the difference is quite a bit.

Might be worth getting in contact to see what offer they can do.

weegie

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#2184516 20-Feb-2019 19:41

Aredwood: @weegie also keep in mind, that power prices (even from the same company). Are different in different parts of NZ. Which is due to different companies which own the power lines in different parts of NZ. So comparing prices is often pointless, unless you know that the person who you are comparing to. Is connected to the same power lines network as you. And is on the same pricing plan.

And to make things even more complicated. There are different metering and control setups on different properties and / or areas. Some people (like myself) are on uncontrolled (also called anytime) plans - no restrictions on when I can use power.

Other people have power to their hot water cylinder able to be remotely switched off and on by the lines company. And they receive cheaper power in exchange. Others have the hot water cylinder and sometimes fixed wired heaters, only provided with power late at night. And there are different meter combinations as well. Sometimes 1 meter for the whole property. Sometimes different meters for different circuits. (separate meter for just hot water is a common example) And different prices charged depending on which meter the electricity went through.

I'm in Auckland, on low user uncontrolled (power lines owned by Vector LTD) Power retailer I'm signed up to is Meridian Energy. And I'm paying 23.38c per unit inc GST (no prompt payment discounts) Although I'm also on a fixed term contract for power. So that price is probably no longer available now.

There is also a law, which says that low user price plans are not allowed to have fixed daily fees any higher than 33c per day. (I personally think that law should be scrapped).

My word! That's complicated.

Thanks for your insight though, really appreciated.

Options are almost frightening! Might just pick one and see, lol!

weegie

15 posts

Geek

#2184517 20-Feb-2019 19:42

nzlogan:

I'd also recommend looking into Pulse Energy. They don't seem to have much on their website regarding their prices/offers, but we had a door-to-door salesperson offer us a deal to beat Electric Kiwi. We pay 18.4c/kWh (inc. GST) uncontrolled which is fixed for two years (no contact though). I believe we were paying 21c/kWh with Electric Kiwi, so even with no longer having the Hour of Power it works out cheaper. This is in the South Island though, so cheaper prices anyway, but with 6 people and all electric the difference is quite a bit.

Might be worth getting in contact to see what offer they can do.

Thank you! Wow, that's really cheap, I'll run a quote from them and see what I get.

Aredwood

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#2184558 20-Feb-2019 23:15

@weegie Since you are a low user (meaning that the fixed fees are the same or extremely close for all companies). Just choose whichever company offers you the lowest per unit rate.

There is a public database of all power connections. Which has things like price plan, low user or not, number of meters, meter serial numbers, which company owns the meters (yes that is often yet another company) who the current power retailer is etc. And anyone who knows your address can look up that database.

This is why most power companies ask for your address before they will offer you a price for power. So they can check what plan, what meters etc your property has. And only offer you a price for the plans that you can actually get.

Different plans means that sometimes, two houses next to eachover, both signed up to the same retailer. Can be paying different prices, yet at the same time, both houses could still be on the cheapest available pricing plans.

In short, ask the companies to quote you prices based on your address. And choose the cheapest one.

Also the low user cutoff rate is 666 units per calendar month. If your summer usage tracks over that, then your winter usage will be well over. And you should switch to a standard user plan.

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