Jargon Buster

Your property has a unique Installation Control Point (ICP) number identifying it on the New Zealand electricity network. You can find this on your current power bill somewhere under the invoice number. It consists of 15 digits – mostly numbers with a few letters at the end.

A kilowatt hour (kWh) is the way power usage is measured on your meter. The electricity industry uses kWh to measure how much power you use. And so do most companies that manufacture electrical products. When you shop for new electrical appliances, you may notice that most are labelled with a star rating and the number of kWh the appliance will typically use per year.

We measure the power you use every month in kWh, and charge you an amount per kWh for your usage.

A tariff is a way of pricing electricity based on the way your meter is set up. There are many different names for the various tariffs across the power industry. But they will normally indicate a time of use (e.g. Day and Night) or control (e.g. Uncontrolled, Anytime, Economy).

If you have controlled/uncontrolled metering the power your network company is able to 'control' is measured separately to the power that they can't. Most networks will give you a discounted rate on the power they can control – which is usually the supply to your hot water cylinder. This is because they are able to switch off the 'controlled' portion of your supply for short periods, for example when the demand on their network is high or there are faults or emergencies on their lines.

If you have a day/night meter your 'day' usage and your 'night' usage are measured separately. Many network companies charge a lower rate for the power you use at night time – which goes from 11pm to 7am in most areas.

With inclusive metering, your local network company 'controls' a portion of your power – which is usually the supply to your hot water cylinder. However the 'uncontrolled' and 'controlled' portions of your supply aren't measured separately, so are charged at the same rate.

Night only metering means the power supply to certain appliances, for example a night store heater or hot water cylinder, can only be turned on at night. Night time goes from 11pm to 7am in most areas. Many network companies charge a lower rate for the power you use at night time.

Night boost metering means the power supply to certain appliances, for example a night store heater or hot water cylinder, can be turned on at night, between 11pm and 7am, and for one to five hours in the afternoon (depending on your network).

Smart time of use pricing is available to customers with smart meters in selected network areas. We call it Get Shifty. With Get Shifty, you can save money when you shift your power use to off-peak times of the day. For more information visit our Get Shifty page.

Most New Zealand properties now have smart meters, which automatically send daily electricity readings and track usage in 30-minute intervals. This provides accurate data without the need for manual meter readings.

Smart meters can track usage across peak and off-peak times, weekdays and weekends. They allow electricity retailers to read meters remotely and send instructions, such as disconnecting or reconnecting power.

To learn more about smart meters, visit the Electricity Authority website.

This is another term for the New Zealand Electricity Market (NZEM). The New Zealand Electricity Market is regulated and overseen by the Electricity Authority (EA). Electricity generators (or wholesalers) sell their power to large industrial users and retailers such as Powershop through the wholesale market. The Electricity Authority website has more information on how this all works.

Network companies own and maintain the power lines that deliver electricity from the national grid to your property. Each company operates within a specific area.

Transpower manages the national grid, carrying electricity from power stations to local networks. Your local network company then delivers it to your home and responds to outages.

An electricity retailer, or power company, or electricity provider, is a company that sells electricity to customers. Like Powershop!

Retailers buy electricity from the wholesale market and sell it on to you. With Powershop you also get award-winning customer service, and loads of useful information and helpful tools.