Meridian Fixed Pricing Ended - Whose Now Cheapest?

LupinS on 13/05/2025 - 16:16
Last edited 13/05/2025 - 16:17

18c to 28c and the daily charge is up 53c as if this month for me (and others I'm sure).

Sadly even with the big jump they still seem to be at the lower end of the market.

Anyone aware of any good deals? Using somewhere between 500 and 900kwh per month (with around 1kw of that being a constant draw to run equipment between 12-20 hrs a day so usage shifting is not going to work.

I'm also finding myself paying $97 a month for 300/100 broadband ATM - and also not finding much better. Anything out there?

General Discussion

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Meridian Energy NZ
Meridian Energy NZ

Comments

  • Alan6984 on 13/05/2025 - 16:30
    +2

    For the electricity you really need to contact as many suppliers as you can yourself, since your pricing (for your specific address) can be different to most other peoples around the country (even sometimes, the house on the other side of your road) since each grid sector can vary.

    • LupinS on 16/05/2025 - 14:49

      The areas are large. Most of CHCH is the same pricing. Although I forgot to mention that part ;)

  • CarlLennyson on 13/05/2025 - 18:20
    +1

    I just made this to compare my CSV half hourly export from Z (Flick) with other prices online that I manually input. It could be helpful for you also. https://polite-pixie-3494cd.netlify.app I've only tested with my csv from Z so it's possible it will need some updating to work with others.

    • notmyusername on 13/06/2025 - 22:32

      This webpage sounds like a great idea

      It doesn't work with an octopus CSV, do you have example flick data so I can try modifying mine to match?

      It appears to want certain data in columns 0,3,5 but didn't like my timestamp

  • xsolider on 13/05/2025 - 21:12

    Skinny is the cheapest atm for fiber 300.

  • Wakrak on 13/05/2025 - 22:41

    Give this a go for fibre
    https://www.cheapies.nz/node/45699

    And cheapest power depends on what region you’re in and your habits

    • LupinS on 16/05/2025 - 14:59

      A year old unfortunately.

      And probably the plan I am being moved off, so will need to move provider to get a decent deal.

      Bigpipe at $84 300/100, two degrees at $95 -$150 +prime for same, or Zero Net @ $50 x6mth and $100 x6mths appear to be the current best deals.

      I'm also debating dropping to 50/10 since bar downloading games the new 100/X rate is probably enough for just me

      • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 15:04
        +1

        Check my comment above. $80 300/100 at Skinny with first month free. That's the cheapest.

  • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 11:00

    Received their email today. :(

    Daily Charge^ (incl GST) Usage Charge^ (incl GST)
    Current Rates $1.37/day $0.25/kWh
    New Rates $1.85/day $0.33/kWh

    • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 11:03

      Was pretty happy with the 4-free plan. Now paying around $200+/m, a lot less than when I was with ElectricKiwi.

    • LupinS on 16/05/2025 - 15:10

      Interesting - I never actually got informed of this, I just happened to look at my rate because I was doing tax and I was thinking the fixed period must be about due to expire. I still havent been.

  • ace310 on 16/05/2025 - 11:11

    Got the price change email as well.

    Current Rates $1.38/day, $0.31/kWh
    New Rates $1.73/day, $0.31/kWh

    • Tmurder91 on 16/05/2025 - 11:16

      I'm East Auckland and got the notice this morning too.

      Plan Type Daily Charge (incl GST) Usage Charge (incl GST)
      Current Rates $2.33/day $0.26/kWh
      New Rates $2.82/day $0.28/kWh

      Based on your average usage since joining Meridian, utilising your Four Free hours so far has resulted in 33% of your electricity usage to be free. If you continue to use a similar level of electricity, with a similar percentage in the free hours, we estimate that the total monthly impact will be $22* based on your current plan.

      • ace310 on 16/05/2025 - 11:17

        Estimated Impact

        Based on your average usage since joining Meridian, utilising your Four Free hours so far has resulted in 35% of your electricity usage to be free. If you continue to use a similar level of electricity, with a similar percentage in the free hours, we estimate that the total monthly impact will be $12* based on your current plan.

        • Tmurder91 on 16/05/2025 - 11:19

          Yeah a shame, but seemingly its still one of the cheapest options available

        • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 11:27

          "we estimate that the total monthly impact will be $51* based on your current plan." :(

    • spam on 16/05/2025 - 11:47

      I got the same email as well.

      However seemed to still be the cheapest for me..

      Estimated Impact

      Based on your average usage since joining Meridian, utilising your Four Free hours so far has resulted in 53% of your electricity usage to be free. If you continue to use a similar level of electricity, with a similar percentage in the free hours, we estimate that the total monthly impact will be $12* based on your current plan.

      • Tmurder91 on 16/05/2025 - 13:06

        Congrats on smashing 50% free - very impressive. How do you manage that?

        • Alan6984 on 16/05/2025 - 13:28

          … 50% free - very impressive. How do you manage that?

          If you have an EV, and use it a lot, would be quite achievable?

          However, would be interested if Spam doesn't and still manages it!

          • dave8501 on 16/05/2025 - 13:42
            +2

            @Alan6984: Nice i got a lil higher on mine :) I have my hot water on a timer and put in a 5kw element

            Estimated Impact

            Based on your average usage since joining Meridian, utilising your Four Free hours so far has resulted in 69% of your electricity usage to be free. If you continue to use a similar level of electricity, with a similar percentage in the free hours, we estimate that the total monthly impact will be $14* based on your current plan.

            • Stoic on 16/05/2025 - 14:01
              +1

              @dave8501: My estimated increase is higher than yours. My daily rate increase accounts for about $14 of the estimated increase.

              Based on your average usage since joining Meridian, utilising your Four Free hours so far has resulted in 71% of your electricity usage to be free. If you continue to use a similar level of electricity, with a similar percentage in the free hours, we estimate that the total monthly impact will be $23* based on your current plan.

              • dave8501 on 16/05/2025 - 14:09

                @Stoic: oh thats odd, wonder if your bill is usually higher than mine? Or its regional pricing?

                • Stoic on 16/05/2025 - 14:24

                  @dave8501: It's regional. I have the same increase xsoldier posted above which has large increases to daily and usage. I'm based in Chch and on low user.

                  I'm guessing ace310 and you are in Auckland. ace310 only has a daily charge increase. You're probably on similar rates to Tmurder, 39c increase in daily and 2c increase in usage.

                  • dave8501 on 16/05/2025 - 14:25

                    @Stoic: ah yes, the difference is the regional increase then. That sucks at its hard to squeeze much more out of the free power unless i get an EV

            • doubledippps on 11/06/2025 - 21:54

              @dave8501: Hey, just wondering if you could share how you set up your timer and 5kW element? Seems like a lot of people are using the 4-hour free plan now and I'm keen to do something similar to make the most of it. Would be awesome to hear what timer you’re using, how you wired it up (or if you got a sparky), and if you needed to upgrade anything like wiring or breakers. Cheers!

              • dave8501 on 12/06/2025 - 00:21

                @doubledippps: Hi, had a sparky add in a WiFi breaker and had to upgrade wiring for the 5kw element

        • FiveFeetUnder on 16/05/2025 - 13:45
          +1

          We got 50% beat.

          "Based on your average usage since joining Meridian, utilising your Four Free hours so far has resulted in 63% of your electricity usage to be free."

          No EV, just Hot Water Cylinder on a timer for those 4hrs, Dryer, Dishwasher, Washing Machine all set to go then as well.

          • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 14:32

            @FiveFeetUnder: That's a good idea. I still have some spare Mightyape smart power boards. Can probably use one for the Hot Water Cylinder. My free usage is only 37%. So surprised that many cheapies here have exceeded 50%.

            • Alan6984 on 16/05/2025 - 14:36

              @xsolider:

              I still have some spare Mightyape smart power boards. Can probably use one for the Hot Water Cylinder.

              What current does your hot water heater draw?

              You need to check that your smart power board can handle it.

              • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 14:53

                @Alan6984: Thanks for the heads up, will do.

                • ace310 on 16/05/2025 - 15:47

                  @xsolider: Pretty sure that power board is no good for water cylinder.

            • FiveFeetUnder on 16/05/2025 - 15:21

              @xsolider: We got a dial timer put on the circuit board for the hot water. Probably a bit safer that way.

        • spam on 16/05/2025 - 16:22

          Yeah, got Ev, HWC, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer all running during the free hours

          • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 16:33

            @spam: What sort of timer do you use for your HWC?

            • spam on 16/05/2025 - 17:40

              @xsolider: Manpowered timer lol. I switch it manually on the wall.
              Once i hot tired of it. I'll probably install a wifi timer relay or something

  • falloutshank on 16/05/2025 - 13:45

    I'm with Genesis in Auckland and my current rate including GST and before the 11 percent discount is:

    Plus Low Daily Fixed per Day $1.2000 / Day

    Plus Low Anytime per kWh $0.2955 / kWh

    Hope this helps someone with their search for cheaper power.

    • Silo1999 on 11/06/2025 - 17:37

      Hi,
      Is that a fixed 12 month term or not fixed?
      How do you get a 11% discount and their site currently just mentions a 3% discount on a non fixed term and 6% discount on the 12 month term?
      Also, have your prices gone up since then as now website shows as $1.38 and 0.3343 for Flexi Low User?

      Thanks

      • falloutshank on 16/06/2025 - 15:14

        Its a fixed term 12 months.
        Im on the duo gas and power plan with
        1% eBilling discount
        5% Dual Fuel discount
        3% 12-month, fixed-term discount
        2% Auto-pay Direct Debit discount

        Its fixed term so my price has not gone up yet. BTW I got the deal through Powerswitch.

  • LupinS on 16/05/2025 - 15:18

    So for (most of) CHCH the best current rate seems to be with Frank at Daily Charge $ 1.3800 / Day and an all Inclusive $0.2680 / kWh (inc GST)

    I'm also looking at Powershop since they seem to have the best non-peak rates. But I need to actually do the math on that one. Plus I hate their weird power pack system.

    • xsolider on 16/05/2025 - 15:27
      +2

      I was with Powershop a few years ago. I hated buying small power packs from the app from time to time.

    • spam on 19/05/2025 - 09:11

      I was with Powershop for a while, same with you and xsolider hated the power packs buying.

      Beware though, at least with my experience, I cannot get to the advertised rate when I joined, since they use the standard rate then apply the power packs discount to get to the lower rates.

      For the life of me, I cannot calculate how exactly it gets applied and what the effective rate for me. Perhaps I'm dumb but it is really confusing.

      Also beware that they have different rates every month

  • mantis454 on 16/05/2025 - 15:44

    Looking at around a 30% overall increase ($41 month according to their email) in the Manawatu with the new Meridian rates, daily has gone from $1.38 to $1.73 and the usage has jumped from $0.33 to $0.44 / kWh. And that's with 59% in the 4 free hours.

  • Juju123 on 18/05/2025 - 18:50

    Im in Chch and also got the same email. If I'm comparing to Contact energy, their daily rate is $1.725 (gst incl), 29.67kwh for low users. $2.30 daily rate, 27.37kwh for standard user.

    Looks like they are cheaper than meridian? Am I missing something here? How does the electric authority levy work?

  • dopedcat on 18/05/2025 - 19:41

    Simply broadband have good pricing , $60 for 50/10 or $80 for 300/100 . no connection fee , no contract

  • bilberry on 18/05/2025 - 21:17

    I am with Mercury for a bit over a year now. Rate is still 90 cents daily and 25.05 cents per kW (both exc. GST). I am based in central Auckland

    • mpc on 17/06/2025 - 00:34

      Have been with Mercury for a couple of years on low user plan in Wellington. On 29th May got an email saying rates were changing (excl GST) :

      Charge type Current Prices New Prices
      Daily Fixed Charge ($/day) $0.5910 $1.2000
      Inclusive ($/kWh) $0.2046 $0.2249

      • Wakrak on 17/06/2025 - 07:06

        Same here in Hamilton

        Charge type Current Prices New Prices
        Daily Fixed Charge ($/day) $0.9000 $1.5000
        Anytime ($/kWh) $0.2564 $0.2718
        Controlled ($/kWh) $0.2002 $0.2136
  • nzmax on 12/06/2025 - 02:00

    Sky fibre is quite good value if they bump the speed of the 50 plan up to 100 which I thought Chorus were doing for free.

    • LupinS on 18/06/2025 - 15:59

      Still coming at some point.

      They'll keep trying to sell the mid and gigabyte plans to people. But for a lot of people and small families 100 will be plenty, so it is a good time to downgrade from 300 (which will be 500 I think?).

      I still haven't changed (should have signed up for the power bundle 6mths free when I was going to), but will likely go to 100. The only time it's going to be a slight issue is when downloading very large files (which for me is mostly games and faaar to many game updates).

      • nzmax on 21/06/2025 - 02:38

        I notice zero difference between 300 and 544 which I am now on. Maybe I will notice some difference between 500 and 100, but usually only 1 person is watching content at one time. So I will probably downgrade. It is a big saving.

  • cruelsummer2 on 18/06/2025 - 16:26

    Hey, I was with Meridian too, same plan as yours (18c per kwH). We're in Canterbury as well.

    When Meridian increased their rate by 50%, we jumped to Mercury. I've got these rates, which works for us (we are heavy user, >1500kwH per month):

    STANDARD USER
    $2.2885 PER DAY DAILY FIXED CHARGE
    $0.2498 CENTS PER KWH INCLUSIVE
    Electricity prices include GST. Prices exclude the 20% EV discount that will be applied to the variable usage rate for your electricity consumption between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

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