Powershop is an online power company available in the Hamilton region, including Hamilton City, Huntly, Raglan, Ngaruawahia, Te Kauwhata, Temple View, Taupiri, Meremere and Te Kowhai. We’ve been powering homes and businesses in the region since 2009.
Who has the power in Hamilton?
Around 93,600 individual properties are connected to the electricity network in the Waikato region.
The average consumption per property in Hamilton is approximately 6,706 kWh* per year. This compares to 6,763 kWh* per year for the North Island as a whole and 7,882 kWh* per year in the South Island.
Where does the power come from?
More than half of New Zealand's electricity generation is hydroelectric. The majority of this generation is from hydro stations on lakes and rivers in the lower half of the South Island, while most of the electricity demand is in the North Island, in particular, the Auckland region. There are eight dams and nine hydro stations on the Waikato river, which produce around 10% of New Zealand’s electricity.
Who is the local lines company in Hamilton?
WEL (Waikato Electricity Limited) is the local lines (or network) company in Hamilton. WEL networks are New Zealand's fifth largest distributor of electricity and gas, owning and operating networks across the region.
Your lines company are the people to call if there is a fault or outage at your property. The faults number for WEL networks is 0800 800 935.
Do I get a dividend from my lines company in the Hamilton region?
WEL Networks no longer pay an annual dividend. The last payment was made to residential customers in May 2018. You can find out more on the WEL Energy Trust website.
How much do I pay for power in the Hamilton region?
Enter your address in our calculator. to get a quick estimate of your rates. You can also upload a recent bill to get an annual cost estimate and find out how much Powershop could save you compared to your current retailer.
Or you can download the current rates for residential customers in the Hamilton region.
How can I save money on power in the Hamilton region?
There are a number of ways you can save money on power in the Hamilton region, including:
- Shifting your usage to off-peak and night times (we call it Get Shifty)
- Turning off appliances when you're not using them
- Using energy efficient appliances and LED lightbulbs
- If you’re with Powershop, buying our regular discounted specials
For more power saving tips check out our Saving Electricity hub or the Gen Less website.
Can I save money if I am a low user?
You can also save money if you are a low user and choose the low user pricing option when you sign up to an electricity retailer. The low user option is only available for your main home (where you live most of the time). For the Hamilton region (and the whole of the North Island as well as the top of the South Island) the government defines a low user is someone who uses less than 8,000 kWh per year.
If you are a low user you pay a lower daily charge which is fixed at 34.50 cents (incl GST) but pay a higher variable electricity charge. At Powershop we check our customers’ accounts regularly to make sure they are on the right pricing option for their usage.
What is Get Shifty?
The technical term is Time of Use pricing, which is available to customers with smart meters in nearly all network areas – including WEL networks. 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.
Note that while your off-peak and night rate is lower with Get Shifty, your peak rate is higher. If you have a smart meter and your home is in the WEL Networks area, you will be put on Get Shifty automatically when you join Powershop.
What are my peak and off-peak times for the WEL network on Get Shifty?
Off-peak times: 9.30am to 5.30pm and 8pm to 10pm weekdays, 7am to 10pm weekends. Peak times: 7am to 9.30am and 5.30pm to 8pm weekdays. Night times: 10pm to 7am weekdays and weekends.
What are the rates for Get Shifty?
To find out your Get Shifty rates for the WEL network, give us a call on 0800 1000 60 between 8am-7pm, Monday to Friday. Or download our full rates for residential customers in the Hamilton region.
*Source: EA Retail Dashboards - Residential Consumption 2019
