Around 140,000 households had to take out a loan to cover their power bill in the past year, with one in three people saying the cost of power is one of their top three financial concerns just now, Consumer NZ research shows.

Its latest energy survey found that more than 360,000 households had trouble paying their power bill in the last 12 months, and over a quarter of a million had overdue fees added, because they couldn’t afford to pay on time.

“We heard from someone whose power bill is overdue for the first time in more than 15 years of on-time payments. Even though they are barely using their heater this winter, they can’t keep up with the rising costs,” Consumer NZ campaigns manager Jessica Walker says.

Rising power bills can put even more pressure on already strained finances. But you can fight back – and here are five ways to do it.

 

1. Beware the power suckers

There has been discussion in the media lately around the power costs of the humble heated towel rail. A toasty towel is very welcome in winter – but it’s expensive! According to Mercury’s cost guide, that thing will cost you between $1.02 and $1.72 a day if you leave it on all the time. Consider putting it on a timer so your towel is lovely and warm only when you need it. Check what other vampire appliances you might have, sucking all your power with Mercury’s Cost Guide for Running Appliances.

In the laundry, make sure you’re using the washing machine with cold water whenever possible and avoid using the dryer where you can.

Don’t forget about your home office. According to Consumer NZ, multi-function printers can add up to $10 a month to your bill just sitting there on standby. It’s time to start switching it (and any other appliances or devices you can) off at the wall. Don’t forget the set-top TV decoder, it can be power hungry too on standby.

 

2. Start meal prepping

Embrace the benefits of meal prepping. This means you cook more food all at once, making better use of the oven’s heat and saving the extra cost of heating it up from cold each time.  It has the added advantage of getting the cooking out of the way too. The Heart Foundation has a great blog to help you get started.

And why not dig out the slow cooker and start using that a bit more, rather than heating the full oven. Maybe it’s time to really get that Air fryer into action. Heating a smaller space means less power and less cost.

 

3. Be clever with your heat pump

As tempting as it is to just whack up the heat setting on the heat pump when you come in and it’s cold, try to stick to the sweet spot of around 19 to 21 degrees if you can, Consumer NZ advises. Higher than this and you’ll be using considerably more electricity. If you want the house to warm up quickly from cold, turn up the fan setting as opposed to the temperature.

And make sure those heat pump filters are cleaned regularly. Otherwise, they get clogged up with dust and grime and have to work harder. Working harder = more power.

 

4. Home in on hot water

Gen Less suggests hot water can account for up to a third of household power bills, so this is a biggie. The answer is shorter showers, not the longer and hotter ones we all long for in winter. Mercury suggests aiming for a pacey four minutes. We love Grey Power Electricity’s suggestion of creating a shower playlist to listen to. Click play on your song before you get in – when the song’s over - you get out. The shorter the song the better.

 

5. Check you’re with the best power company for you and whether you’re eligible for help

There are grants available for insulation and heating for those that are eligible. While you need to pay some of the cost, 80 to 90 percent can be covered by the Warmer Kiwi Homes Scheme. Eligibility is based on your home being built before 2008 and having a Community Services Card or living in a low-income area. You must own the home.

Use Powerswitch to check you’re with the best power company for you too. It claims 90 percent of people who use it make savings – it doesn’t hurt to check in on this regularly.

Consumer NZ’s Walker recommends those struggling to pay their power bills talk to their power provider as soon as possible.

“If you’re having difficulties paying for the power you need to be warm and healthy – contact your electricity provider to let it know and ask about its consumer care policy.”

So, let’s all do what we can – while feeling grateful we’ve made it into spring and crossing our fingers for warmer weather (preferably the clothes drying kind).

 

Written by: Sonia Speedy
Sonia Speedy has been a journalist for over 20 years, working in newspapers, magazines and radio. She also runs an online platform for parents at familytimes.co.nz. She lives on the Kāpiti Coast with her young family and loves writing stories that help make people's lives easier.