Has anyone heard of Meridian's "4 hours free" deal? How can it be obtained? I couldn't find any information on Google. A friend of a friend in Christchurch mentioned he signed up for it at a rate of 0.25c/kWh. It seems like a great deal for winter?
Meridian Energy 4 Hours Free Deal?
doubledippps on 04/06/2024 - 23:31
Last edited 05/06/2024 - 16:07 by 1 other user
Last edited 05/06/2024 - 16:07 by 1 other user
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I haven't seen this deal but a couple of things to check if you are contacting them.
- Is the 0.25c/kWh incl GST? By default, Meridian show their plans Ex GST on the website
- Is there a daily charge as well? It might be a great rate per kWh but if it has high daily charges that could wipe out any savings.
- Is there a contract term? You might get a good winter rate only to be locked in to high rates over other months of the year.
I'm also in Christchurch and got an email about it. I am an existing existing customer on a fixed 24/7 18.18c/kWh $1.25 (GST included) plan I got last year through one of the comparison websites, fixed till 2025)
The email describes the plan as 'Early access' and let me pick 4 separate hour blocks between 4am - 7am, 11am - 2pm and 9pm - 12pm. Lists rates of 25.45c/kWh and $1.3738 daily (GST included).
I did the math and the way our flat uses power we wouldn't be better off. I read the offer as a way to get customers like me off an unprofitable targeted customer acquisition offer they made last year.
We are on the same Meridian plan too (18.18c/kWh and 120.15c/day GST inclusive). We are in Canterbury as well.
Just to remark that I saw a slightly better plan in Powerswitch - via Mercury, 16.07c/kWh and 166.07c/day. Since our consumption is easily >1000kWh per month (we are a big household), this is more attractive to us. Plus, as far as I can remember, Mercury has some little 'perks' whereas we got zilch with Meridian.
Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look.
We are using ~1200Wkh in winter but over summer it drops by half, so I'll have to do some math.
Nothing here but we are on the ev plan that has very low overnight rates.
I did get an email today they are offering 6 months free charging for EVs at zero charge stations which will be useful to offset the RUC payments a bit.
I don't know how much prices vary between Christchurch and Auckland but I did a full comparison of the off-peak rates and free hours for our Auckland home and Contact Energy won hands down with their Good Weekend plan.
Free power 9am - 5pm in the weekend and then 16c per kW (ex GST) for the rest of the time.
Got the ad this morning on FB, here is the link.
https://nextgen.meridianenergy.co.nz/core-landing-page?fbcli…
I’m getting standard rates $0.2634/kWH
Contact good weekend is $0.18
That’s quite a difference to make upFor mine in Christchurch:
Meridian 4 Hours Free: $0.2545/kWH; Daily charge $1.3738/day
Contact Goodweekend: $0.2162/kWH; Daily charge $2.3000/day
That looks like low user rates for Meridian and standard rates for Contact.
@doubledippps: That's interesting: $1.38 (GST incl.) is the (recent) daily charge for low user plans. I wonder whether the site is bugged as it shows the same rates for low user and standard after picking South Island, but different rates for the two options after picking North Island.
@Detruire: It looks like for the South Island there is only 1 set of daily and per kWh rate. Not sure if there's an error there as if you toggle between low and standard user the rates don't change.
For the North Island the rates do change if you toggle.
Low user is
Standard rate $0.3066 /kWH
Daily charge $1.3800/dayStandard user is
Standard rate $0.2634/kWH
Daily charge $2.3287/day@Stoic: Yes that is correct, the person I know that have early access to this also have the same $1.38/d as a standard user
Remember that the Good Weekend rate also has 16 free hours. 9am - 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
@JunoNZ: For me we usually out of the house during the weekend, which make the deal not so attractive.
Awesome mate thanks for the update!
Worth noting that it requires payment by direct debit and is only available to customers on Orion, United Network, or Vector line networks.
Contact goodnights is still better for me due to Meridian's daily rate.
With Miderian the rates including GST are
25.45c/kWh
$1.3738 dailyand with Contact are
28.98c/kWh
$1.035 dailyIn my last bill for 27 days I was charged for 126kWh and used 496kWh in the free 9pm-12am hours. I'd have to be using 10kwh+ a day in the charged times for it worth it for me.
Contact's add on bonuses have also been good. I've still got $500 worth of credit to use up from adding mobile (never activated) and broadband, have used this for a second time after moving for another deal and then coming back.
Wow my Goodnights rate are $2.4736/kWH; Daily charge $0.2737/day - More than double for the daily charge for me.
I guess if you use less kWH per month it's better to have lower daily charge and higher per kwh? I use about 1600kWH/month during winterI'm pretty sure you've got your unit rate and daily charge the wrong way around
Yes you are correct it is the other way around.
In Auckland
Current rates
Daily $1.99
Peak 0700-2100 $0.2423
Off Peak 2100-0700 $0.1106Trial Plan rates
Daily $2.3287
Fixed $0.2634Does not seem like a good deal prima facie.
For me in Auckland:
Meridian rates:
30.66c/kWh
$1.3738 dailyContact are:
34.73c/kWh
$1.035 dailyIf I use last month's bill of 279kWh+324kWh free with Contact: $127.9 vs $126.75 with Meridian
I am getting exactly same amount between Contact & Meridian. Benefit is additional 1 hour free would save me little bit. Plus free charging for Tesla, which is normally enough from 3 hours free.
If you have a Tesla, you also get free off peak charging on top of the 4 hours free.
How? The plan with meridian saya 4 hours free only nothing about the office peak pricing outside the free hours.
Put your address in and tick that you have an EV then select Tesla
Free hours aren't a deal (no matter how many) if the non-free rate is too high.
Remember 4 hours are only 2.4% of the week’s hours - and if the requirement is off peak then the energy used is less than that.
Likewise huge numbers of off-peak hours aren't a deal if the peak rates are too high.
There are off-peak plans with 138 off-peak hours which for me were more expensive than a plan with just 16 free hours.
https://www.myfavourites.co.nz/home/best-off-peak-power-plan…They should make it easier to compare - but they don't. You’ve got to do the math.
It's 4 hours per day so 16.7% of the days/weeks hours.
These types of deals are only good for people who are able to move most of their power usage to those off peak hours.
Looks like they have stopped taking new customers on for this deal.
They stopped a while back. They have even stopped smart charging. I don't see anything including my previous charges.
That must be the additional charging for tesla that they have a while back?
Yes. No more off peak free charging for tesla. Still 4hrs free can be used which is more than enough.
@ace310: What about existing users that enabled this, is it still enabled for them or has it been turned off for all existing customers as well?
@phillq: There are no new users. And it has been removed for existing users as well. Saw multiple post on FB and it is not there on my account as well. I had it activated and used it regularly before.
@ace310: Oh did they simply remove it without any communication to existing users of the benefit that had their Tesla linked up?!
They could be expecting to have a charged car in the morning for free and it suddenly isn’t!@phillq: Yes. I didn't receive any communications. Some did get the email so no idea what happened. worst part is that I don't even have the previous charging history on my account. So basically all trace of this even existed is not there. Very hush hush and I am not impressed at all.
worst part is that I don't even have the previous charging history on my account. So basically all trace of this even existed is not there/
That's interesting - did it just not show on your invoices at all (I guess as it was at a nil rate)?
Have Meridian increased your kWh rates since you've been on the 4hours plan?
I'm in Auckland, standard user that was with Flick, but being moved to Meridian next week as they bought Flick.
Hoping they'll let me on the 4 hours free plan, but not confident they'll allow it. The alternative for us is Contact Good Nights plan (free power 9pm to midnight, but only on weekdays now). They would charge us 27c per kWh inc GST outside the free hours.
As far as I remember no, they haven't changed the rates.
Daily - $1.2/day
Kwh - $0.27But I don't think they are taking any new connections on 4hrs free plan. They stopped it sometime back, unless they started again then it would be news to me.
My latest bill is $359.33. :(
Have just got an email that this plan is ending 31 October 2025.
I guess they lost a lot of money saying that over the course of the plan, they've given 7million kWh or $1.8million of "free" power to the customers
Same. Will probably have to move back to Contact. Unfortunately their good nights plan is only free power on weeknights now.
Currently have $300 credit for adding broadband promo though.
I can still see Good nights plan on their web, not sure if it's only for me or not. The rate is higher than the Meridian Freedom plan that they move us to but probably still cheaper if we still do bulk of the power during 9-12pm.
EDIT: found this:
We’ve made some updates to the Good Nights plan for new customers as part of how we deliver value across our plans.
If you were already on the original Good Nights plan prior to December 5th 2024, you can still enjoy free power from 9pm to midnight every night of the week.
Note: if you switch plans, move house or leave and come back, you’ll be moved onto the latest version of Good Nights with free power Monday to Friday only.
Also found this added to their T&C now:
If your average Free Period usage per week exceeds 200kWh, which is around 5 times the average electricity used by our customers per week during the Free Period, your usage will not be considered fair use.
I've signed up to start contact good nights plan on 3 November. Might as well stick with meridian over that first weekend. Have added broadband to start then too.
My highest free power usage was about 750kWh in July with Meridian so with 1 less hour I won't breach the 200kWh condition.
@Stoic: Fair point.
Last month I used 580kWh Free power so would also be under 200kWh condition.Although annoying that it's now Mon-Fri and weekends will be full rate.
@Bargain-Hunter: I'm choosing the low user rates. The daily charge is $1.5+gst which is slightly lower than the $1.62+gst with Meridian.
Per kwh rate is much higher though. Hmm. Might need to look into more plans.
@Stoic: As of now, I'm considering the low user Good Night plan OR Meridian EV plan.
probably need to go through my spreadsheet to see which one works best and if there are other power plans available
Good nights plan now is only for weekdays (Mon - fri). They have removed weekends.
This plan has been a godsend over the winter months. My last bill was about 60% free power. Safe to say, their Freedom Plan doesn't look that attractive.
Same. I've averaged around 55-60% free power.
I run through my last bill using their Freedom Plan: $296 after the $20 credit vs $152 on the current plan
I was at about 50% free power. I threw all the rates from the Contact Plans and my last power bill into chatgpt to calculate it for me, and I'd have to use about 40% of my power during the free hours to break even compared to the Freedom Plan. That's definitely not happening with any of the Contact Plans.
Surprisingly the Freedom Plan is cheaper than alternative plans I could find. But it still means my power bill is going to be a lot more expensive than before…
I put a timer on my Hot Water Cylinder so I was getting all my hot water for free on those four hours. In total I was saving ~65% per month with those 4hrs. No other plans I have looked at even come close to the savings I got on this plan.
(I've moved my comments from "E.V users post forum to this one which is more general on this topic of the now closing Meridian "4 hours free" plan).
"The Meridian webpage FAQ's this plan switch off is here : https://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/help/four-free-faq
Unfortunately It wasn't worth me, (in my small "low user" classified household with E.K), going to this Meridian 4 Hours Free plan earlier this year. Thou I kept a close eye on it hoping it would be an alternative at some point in time for a worthwhile move from E.k to it. It's another sign that the Big Gentailer Industry continues to resist allowing permanent good competitive "free hours" lower priced retail small household plans, and both colours of government power in NZ remain part of the problem !.".
(I've moved my comments from "E.V users post forum to this one which is more general on this topic of the now closing Meridian "4 hours free" plan)
"And is this very interesting timing by this power company to close this plan, one of the few only really good alternative power plans. ???. So earlier in the year first withdrawing it for new customers, now closing it down for those in it. And fresh out today , the current government's long awaited Electricity - Power market Enquiry group "plan to reduce the excessive power pricing". We note both consumer groups and various Industry / Union groups etc are commenting on it today, saying the government has refused most of the Enquiry group's recommendations, and the few recommendations / actions the government says it will do, will take years to make any significant difference and unlikely to significantly lower the Big Gentailers strong hold on the wholesale electricity market pricing….. :( "
Try calling them and asking?
The rates are local, but if you are in Christchurch too, you might get the same deal.