Did you leave the lights on again?

Did you leave the lights on again?

Excessive energy use the number one cause of arguments in shared living situations

Auckland, 03 May 2015 – A new survey by consumer research company Canstar Blue shines a light on Kiwis’ electricity habits discovering that 15% of those in shared living situations have fought about excessive energy use, closely followed by raised tempers at lights being left on (13%).

And it might be a fair enough argument, as more than a quarter of Kiwis (28%) can’t afford to heat their homes adequately in the winter, says Canstar Blue Head, Megan Doyle.

“The further South you go the harder it seems to be to stay warm at home, with 32% of those in Otago stating that their houses just aren’t warm enough through the cooler months.”

Cost is the major driving factor behind electricity-related behaviour change – nearly half of Kiwis have altered their electricity habits, and of those 89% have done so in order to reduce the cost of their bill.

The fairer sex, or the colder sex?

Women seem to have more difficulties staying warm; women (33%) are more likely than men (23%) to have problems heating their homes in the winter, and they are more likely to be living in a poorly insulated house (41%, men: 32%).

However, they are not facing these challenges alone as Gen Ys find it the hardest (across the age groups) to adequately heat their homes in the winter despite being the most power conscious, actively turning off appliances before leaving the house (56%) compared to Baby Boomers at 35%.

Are you prepared?

More than half (54%) of New Zealanders are prepared with emergency supplies if the power was to go out for a long period of time. Understandably, those in Canterbury are the most prepared at 66% compared to Aucklanders who are less worried about an emergency power outage with just 47% prepared for the situation.

When it comes down to the “why” of choosing an electricity retailer, New Zealanders are basing their decision on value for money above all other factors, says Doyle.

“The cost of power is definitely a concern, sitting as the number one driver of satisfaction with a power company, followed by billing accuracy/clarity.”

Just 23% of those in the survey said that they had been contacted by their provider to recommend a better plan.

“This means there could be a lot of Kiwis out there who aren’t getting the best deal from their power company. There’s a lot of hot competition between companies so be on the lookout for the best deal for you. If in doubt, get in touch with your provider and see if there are options that better suit your energy use and you could save a lot of cash,” says Doyle.

The survey asked participants to rate their electricity provider across six variables:

• Value for money.

• Availability of payment plan options

• Service

• Billing

• Information/advice about using electricity efficiently

• Overall satisfaction with the electricity retailer

Following on from their win last year, Powershop has taken the top spot for overall satisfaction for 2015 scoring five stars across the board.

“Powershop, an online provider and subsidiary of Meridian Energy, were the only retailer to score five stars in any of the categories. Their online services and ‘pay when you like’ system make them a consumer favourite.”

www.canstarblue.co.nz

Breaking down New Zealand’s electricity retailers by region:

Auckland: Aucklanders are most likely to have taken a fixed term contract with their electricity retailer (35%) and least likely to be prepared with emergency supplies if the power was to go out for a long period of time (47%).

Waikato: Those in the Waikato are the most likely to have been contacted by their provider to recommend a better plan (25%).

Wellington: Wellingtonians are the most likely to not be able to afford to heat their home adequately in the winter (33%), most likely to have changed their electricity usage behaviour (51%), least likely to always switch appliances off at the wall when they leave the house (35%) and least likely to have a gas account as well (35%).

Canterbury: Cantabrians are the least likely to have taken a fixed term contract with their electricity provider (17%), least likely to have changed their electricity usage behaviour (40%) and most likely to be prepared with emergency supplies if the power was to go out for a long period of time (66%).

Otago: Those from Otago are the most likely to always switch appliances off at the wall when they leave the house (48%), least likely to have been contacted by their provider to recommend a better plan (38%) and least likely to have a gas account as well (11%).

Bay of Plenty: Those from the Bay of Plenty are the least likely to not be able to afford to adequately heat their home in the winter (22%) and least likely to say that their home is not insulated properly (30%).

About the survey

Canstar Blue commissions respected professional market research agency Colmar Brunton Australia, to undertake research on our behalf using SSI NZ panel.

The outcomes reported here are the results from a survey of consumers who have an electricity account and pay the bills. In this case there were 1,910 people surveyed.

Age Groups:

Gen Y: 18-29

Gen X: 30-44

Baby Boomers: 45+

*To view the full results of the Canstar Blue survey go to: www.canstarblue.co.nz

ENDS

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