Powershop is an online power company available in the Wellington region, including Wellington City, Hutt Valley (Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt) and Porirua. We’ve been powering homes and businesses in the region since 2009.
Who has the power in Wellington?
There are around 175,400 individual properties connected to the electricity network in the Wellington region.
The average consumption per property in Wellington is approximately 6,982 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?
Wellington is famous for its powerful wind and this natural resource is being harnessed to help power the region. From the single iconic wind turbine in Brooklyn, to the 62 turbines at West Wind in Makara.
Wellington’s wind generation is supplemented by power drawn from the national grid. More than half of the electricity generated to the grid is hydroelectric. The majority of this generation is from hydro stations on lakes and rivers in the lower half of the South Island.
Who is the local lines company in Wellington?
Wellington Electricity is the local lines (or network) company in Wellington. Wellington Electricity owns and operates the electricity distribution network throughout the Wellington region.
Do I get a dividend from my lines company in the Wellington region?
Wellington Electricity do not provide a dividend to their customers.
How much do I pay for power in the Wellington 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 Wellington region.
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 Wellington, you will be put on Get Shifty automatically when you join Powershop.
How can I save money on power in the Wellington region?
There are a number of ways you can save money on power in the Wellington region, including:
- Shifting your usage to off-peak 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 Wellington 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 but pay a higher variable electricity charge. At Powershop we check our customers’ accounts every three months 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 Wellington 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. So it’s not for everyone.
What are my peak and off-peak times for the Wellington Electricity network on Get Shifty?
Off-peak times: 11am to 5pm and 9pm to 7am weekdays, all day weekends. Peak times: 7am to 11am and 5pm to 9pm weekdays.
What are the rates for Get Shifty?
To find out your Get Shifty rates for the Wellington Electricity network, or to see if it’s right for you, message our friendly team via our live chat 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday. Or download our full rates for residential customers in the Wellington region.
*Source: EA Retail Dashboards - Residential Consumption 2019
