Power price checker
Are you paying too much for power? Check your bill against the typical price where you live, then see roughly what switching could save.
Pick your town and enter three numbers from your bill to see how your price compares.
Source MBIE: Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity PricesChecked 16 October 2026Streetwise. Free, no sign-up.
Compares your price with the typical advertised price in your area. It cannot see every plan, so use Billy or Powerswitch to find the cheapest one.
Can't pay a power bill? Your rights and where to get help · Utilities Disputes · Citizens Advice Bureau.
Not sure where to start? Tell us what is going on and we will point you to the right tool.
What next?
How the checker works
Every power bill hides one simple number: what you really pay for each unit of power, once the daily charge is included. The checker works it out by dividing your power charges by the kWh you used, then puts it next to the typical price in your area from the government's latest survey.
That typical price is an average across retailers, not the cheapest deal. If you are paying more than typical, you are very likely to save by switching. If you are paying less, you are already on a good plan, but a quick check on Billy or Powerswitch can still find something better.
Not all of your bill is up for grabs. Part of every unit pays your local lines company to get power to your house, and that part is the same whichever retailer you choose. Switching can only change the rest.
Power prices by town in New Zealand
The typical price of power in 42 towns and cities on 15 August 2026, in cents per kWh including GST, and what a home using 8,000 kWh a year would pay. Lines charges go to your local lines company. Energy and other is the part retailers compete on.
| Town and lines company | Total | Lines | Energy and other | A year at 8,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Island | ||||
| Kerikeri Top Energy | 50.6c | 23.3c | 27.4c | $4,050 |
| Whangārei Northpower | 44.5c | 17.9c | 26.6c | $3,562 |
| Auckland North Shore Vector (Northern) | 41.3c | 16.1c | 25.2c | $3,306 |
| Auckland Central Vector (Auckland) | 41.3c | 16.1c | 25.2c | $3,304 |
| Pukekohe Counties Power | 45.7c | 19.8c | 25.9c | $3,656 |
| Tauranga Powerco (Tauranga) | 45.0c | 15.6c | 29.4c | $3,601 |
| Hamilton WEL Networks | 39.8c | 15.0c | 24.8c | $3,182 |
| Thames Powerco (Thames Valley) | 44.2c | 18.4c | 25.7c | $3,535 |
| Cambridge Waipa Networks | 43.7c | 16.6c | 27.2c | $3,499 |
| Whakatāne Horizon Energy | 44.0c | 17.2c | 26.8c | $3,523 |
| Rotorua Unison (Rotorua) | 42.9c | 15.3c | 27.6c | $3,434 |
| Taupō Unison (Taupō) | 42.2c | 15.3c | 26.8c | $3,373 |
| Gisborne Firstlight Network | 48.4c | 20.9c | 27.5c | $3,870 |
| New Plymouth Powerco (North Taranaki) | 43.5c | 19.7c | 23.8c | $3,478 |
| Ōtorohanga The Lines Company | 46.0c | 20.7c | 25.3c | $3,678 |
| Taumarunui The Lines Company | 46.0c | 20.7c | 25.3c | $3,678 |
| Napier Unison (Hawke's Bay) | 41.4c | 16.7c | 24.7c | $3,308 |
| Hāwera Powerco (South Taranaki) | 48.4c | 24.5c | 23.9c | $3,873 |
| Waipukurau Centralines | 48.6c | 24.3c | 24.4c | $3,892 |
| Whanganui Powerco (Whanganui) | 44.0c | 19.7c | 24.4c | $3,524 |
| Dannevirke Scanpower | 46.4c | 20.6c | 25.8c | $3,710 |
| Masterton Powerco (Wairarapa) | 48.3c | 24.5c | 23.8c | $3,862 |
| Palmerston North Powerco (Manawatū) | 43.1c | 19.7c | 23.4c | $3,446 |
| Paraparaumu Electra | 44.7c | 22.7c | 22.0c | $3,574 |
| Wellington City Wellington Electricity | 37.2c | 12.3c | 24.9c | $2,976 |
| South Island | ||||
| Nelson Nelson Electricity | 38.4c | 11.5c | 27.0c | $3,074 |
| Richmond Network Tasman | 38.8c | 11.9c | 26.9c | $3,102 |
| Blenheim Marlborough Lines | 47.1c | 19.0c | 28.1c | $3,770 |
| Westport Buller Electricity | 47.0c | 18.2c | 28.7c | $3,756 |
| Greymouth Westpower | 48.5c | 19.9c | 28.6c | $3,882 |
| Rangiora MainPower (North Canterbury) | 45.5c | 20.3c | 25.2c | $3,638 |
| Kaiapoi MainPower (Kaiapoi) | 45.1c | 20.3c | 24.8c | $3,608 |
| Christchurch Orion | 38.6c | 14.6c | 24.0c | $3,089 |
| Ashburton EA Networks | 38.2c | 12.3c | 25.9c | $3,053 |
| Timaru Alpine Energy | 43.2c | 17.9c | 25.3c | $3,456 |
| Oamaru Network Waitaki | 44.7c | 19.2c | 25.6c | $3,578 |
| Dunedin Aurora Energy (Dunedin) | 42.5c | 16.8c | 25.7c | $3,399 |
| Queenstown Aurora Energy (Queenstown) | 42.4c | 18.3c | 24.1c | $3,390 |
| Cromwell Aurora Energy (Central Otago) | 48.9c | 24.7c | 24.1c | $3,910 |
| Balclutha OtagoNet | 51.0c | 25.6c | 25.4c | $4,080 |
| Winton The Power Company | 44.2c | 19.2c | 24.9c | $3,534 |
| Invercargill Electricity Invercargill | 39.0c | 13.6c | 25.5c | $3,122 |
| New Zealand average | 42.1c | 16.8c | 25.3c | $3,368 |
Source: MBIE Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices, indicators on 15 August 2026. The survey uses each retailer's cheapest low-user plan without a fixed term, at 22 kWh a day, weighted by market share. It leaves out bundle and online discounts, sign-up credits and fixed-term deals.
Before you switch
- Check for an exit fee. A fixed-term plan can charge you to leave early. Your current bill or contract will say.
- Compare total yearly cost, not the headline rate. A low unit rate can hide a high daily charge.
- Watch the extras. Joining credits and bundle discounts can make a dearer plan look cheaper for the first few months.
- Read your meter on switch day. A photo of it protects you from paying for the same power twice.
The full steps, and your rights if you are struggling to pay, are in our guide to switching power company.
Questions people ask
What is a normal power price per kWh in NZ?
The official survey on 15 August 2026 put the national average at 42.1 cents per kWh, including GST and lines charges, for a home using 8,000 kWh a year. That is about $3,368 a year. It ranged from 37.2 cents in Wellington City to 51.0 cents in Balclutha.
How do I work out what I pay per kWh?
Divide the power charges on your bill (including GST) by the kWh you used. A $250 bill for 600 kWh is about 41.7 cents per kWh. That figure includes your daily fixed charge, so it is the true price of each unit.
Why is power dearer in some towns?
Mostly because of lines charges, the part that pays the local lines company to get power to your house. They ranged from 11.5 cents per kWh in Nelson to 25.6 cents in Balclutha. You pay them whichever retailer you choose.
Will switching power company change my lines company or meter?
No. Your lines company and meter stay the same. Only the company that bills you changes, and the new one arranges the switch for you.
Does this tool keep my power bill?
No. If you upload a bill it is read inside your own browser. It is not sent to Streetwise or anyone else, and it is gone when you close the page.
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Sources: MBIE: electricity cost and price monitoring, MBIE: Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices to 15 August 2026 (PDF), Billy, Electricity Authority, Powerswitch, Consumer NZ. Last reviewed 16 October 2026.