Recommended energy retailers for solar & battery storage
Picking the right energy retailer can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most from your solar system.
When deciding, think about what’s important to you. Is your priority reducing environmental impact, cutting costs, or keeping things simple?
Also, think about what’s going to work with your setup. Do you have solar only or solar with a battery? Think about your home’s big electricity users—hot water, EV charging, or a pool—and what time they come on.
Here are our four recommended electricity retailers for solar in New Zealand:
Ecotricity: 100% CarbonZero Certified Electricity
If sustainability is your main driver, then you can’t look past Ecotricity. They are committed to sustainability and renewable energy.
Ecotricity is the only retailer in New Zealand to offer 100% carbon zero certified electricity, so you can further reduce your carbon footprint, even with imported electricity.
They offer competitive rates for buying electricity, as well as excellent solar export rates.
If you have a battery, Ecotricity has an eco battery plan, that includes higher export rates during peak times (earning you more when paired with Tesla’s Time Based Control).
With solar only you should try to match your power use to when the sun is shining. For example, you can use a hot water diversion, like the Ohm Pilot or if you have an EV and want to charge it from your solar, a Zappi or WattPilot is key.
Octopus: Smart Pricing for Battery Owners
If you’re armed with a battery and want to be more in control of your power bill, then Octopus offers a great variable plan.
They break down the day into time periods. For each one of these periods they will allocate a different cost for electricity. High in peak times, low in off peak and even cheaper overnight.
If you have a battery like the Tesla Powerwall, you are able to use Time Based Control to program in the variable charges throughout the day. The battery can then make decisions for you on when to charge and discharge, as it knows your usage patterns and the plan pricing.
For instance, during the 7–11am peak, your Tesla Powerwall can charge overnight at off-peak rates, ready to power your morning routine without tapping into costly peak power.
Octopus also offers one of the highest export rates, including higher rates during peak times (great if you have a battery). So with your summer solar export you can rack up a good credit to chip away at for winter power bills.
Electric Kiwi: Variable Plan and Free Hour of Power
Just like Octopus, Electric Kiwi offers variable rates. If being in control of your power bill is important, Electric Kiwi is a good choice to allow you to do that.
When it comes to charging your battery from the cheap overnight rates, Electric Kiwi’s movemaster plan also works really well with Tesla’s ‘Time Based control’ function.
Their rates are a little higher than Octopus, but you get a free hour of power, which you can choose to use outside the peak periods.
The solar export rate is pretty competitive. Also, If you manage to rack up enough summer export credit, Electric Kiwi is one of the few companies that will actually pay you out in real money for it.
Contact: 3 Hours of Free Night Power
The 3 hours of free power is the main attraction to Contact. Between the hours of 9pm to midnight, you can draw as much power as your connection will allow for 3 hours straight.
You’re probably already thinking “wouldn’t that be good to charge my battery back up?”. You’re exactly right, with Tesla’s ‘time based control’, you can program in this free period and your Powerwall will charge up, ready to power the toaster and jug in the morning. Watch this case study to see how it is working out for Russell, a customer in Dunedin.
It’s worth noting that Contact doesn’t offer the best export rates, but the free power at night might outweigh that for you.
To make sure you are always on the best plan, remember, you can shop around and change energy retailers throughout the lifetime of your solar system.
We recommend you wait to change energy retailers until after your solar system is installed and commissioned. To get your solar system live as soon as possible, it’s best to avoid any possible paperwork delays.
We are looking at this stuff every day and can help you choose the right retailer for your solar system and energy profile. This is part of the service we offer, whether you’re new to solar or a seasoned user.
There is also a website that can also help you compare retailers, check out Powerswitch.
Ready to get started with solar or batteries? Fill out the form below, and we’ll be in touch to discuss your options.