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Media release: So much choice, yet New Zealanders choose to stay with the same electricity providers

New Zealanders have such a wide range of electricity providers to choose from, so why are so few of us willing to make the big switch?

That’s the message from a Canstar Blue survey of more than 4,200 Kiwis. It found that although nearly half of us (43%) have compared electricity prices in the last 12 months, only a few bright sparks (13%) have actually followed through and changed providers.

Canstar Blue General Manager Jose George says: “New Zealanders are clearly aware they can shop around for electricity providers, but despite that, the overwhelming majority (87%) aren’t switching. Yet more than a third of those surveyed (38%) admit they’re worried about how much their power bills will be.

“Unless you’re on a fixed-term contract, which often means you may have to pay break fees, It’s actually very easy to switch power companies,” says Jose George.
Now that winter is here and the mercury is dropping, more than half (51%) of those surveyed wrap themselves up in blankets and extra jerseys to keep warm instead of turning up the heating. Nearly half of us (40%) believe our homes aren’t well-insulated.

“With so many retailers in the market, power really does lie with the customer here. It pays to shop around and that could make a big difference to your power bills,” says Jose George.
Canstar Blue is delighted to announce that Powershop has retained its position as the top brand in the New Zealand market, winning the 2019 Most Satisfied Customers Award – Electricity Providers for the seventh time in eight years.

“Winning the award for the second year in a row is a testament to Powershop’s ability to connect with its customers through its attractive plans, excellent customer service, transparency and flexibility. Powershop won 5-stars in six out of the seven drivers of customer satisfaction, and was the only provider to win 5-stars in customer service,” says Jose George.

Accepting the award, Louise Chan, Acting Head of Powershop says: “This marks the seventh year that Powershop has won the Canstar Most Satisfied Customers award, and we couldn’t be more proud. We are all about putting the power in our customers hands so we are delighted to be the only power company which won 5-stars for customer service. These results really are a testament to the hard work and commitment from our amazing local team. They put our customers at the heart of everything they do.”

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