Powershop is an online power company available to residents in the Nelson area, including Nelson Central, Stoke, Richmond, and the Tahunanui-Port Hills . We’ve been supplying homes and businesses with electricity in Nelson since 2016.
Who has the Power in Nelson?
Around 9,188 individual properties are connected to the electricity network in the Nelson region.
The average consumption per property in Nelson is approximately 6,855 kWh* per year. This compares to 6,930 kWh* per year for the North Island as a whole and 8,043 kWh* per year in the South Island. Nelson, as one of the sunnier parts of the country, enjoys a lower average power consumption than the South Island - similar to the North Island on average.
Where does the power come from?
Over 80% of the power New Zealand generates for residential and commercial use is from renewable sources - with government and generation company initiatives to keep lifting this.
Who is the local lines company in Nelson?
Nelson Electricity is the local lines (or network) company in Nelson. Nelson Electricity networks have been operational since the 1920s, and supply specifically to Nelson - this network is surrounded by the Network Tasman and Marlborough Lines Network distributors. It’s the 4th smallest lines network in the country.
Your lines company are the ones to call if there is a fault or outage at your property. The faults number for Nelson Electricity is 03 546 9256
Do I get a dividend from my lines company in Nelson?
Nelson Electricity doesn't pay a dividend out to residents.
How much do I pay for power living in Nelson?
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 Nelson.
How can I save money on power in Nelson?
There are a number of ways you can save money on power in Nelson including:
- Shifting your usage to off-peak times (Get Shifty).
- Turning off any appliances that aren’t in use.
- Make use of that Nelson sunshine by opting for drying laundry outdoors instead of with a dryer.
- If you’re with Powershop, buying our regular discounted specials.
For more power saving tips check out our Saving Electricity hub.
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 usually live). For the Nelson region (and the top of the South Island) the government defines a low user as 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 the Nelson Electricity network. 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 rate is lower with Get Shifty, your peak rate is higher.
What are my peak and off-peak times for the Nelson Electricity network on Get Shifty?
Off-peak times in weekdays: 12am to 7am, 11am to 5pm, 9pm to midnight
Off-peak times in weekends: all day
Peak times in weekdays: 7am to 11am, 5pm to 9pm
What are the rates for Get Shifty?
To find out your Get Shifty rates for the Nelson Electricity 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 Nelson area.
*Source: EA Retail Dashboards - Residential Consumption 2020