You’re probably well aware of the usual message preached by traditional power companies to ‘help’ you save money on your power bills – use less power. It’s not the best advice, especially when the barometer’s dropping and the forecast is for snow!
Discover an energy company changing the way we think about power use.
If your life currently revolves around analysing nappies and endless piles of washing, chances are you’ve entered the world of parenthood – congratulations! At a guess, we’d say your electricity needs are pretty low on your list of priorities (and fair enough, too), but we also know that chilly winter temperatures, reduced income, and a precious wee bundle to keep warm can make for a stressful combination – especially when it comes to your power bill.
Flick Electric’s mantra is just the opposite. They don’t think Kiwis should have to use less power and live in cold homes just to save money. Instead, Flick encourages you to be smart about how and when you use power. Flick customers pay the ever-changing wholesale (spot) price of electricity, and with access to smart tools that show real-time electricity prices, they know the best time to use power to make big savings.
And ‘big savings’ is no exaggeration. Flick’s Dunedin customers saved an average $732 in the past year, and Christchurch customers saved $794, compared to what they would have paid with their previous retailers. Something to get excited about, right?
Dunedinites Andrew and Hollie Humphries (plus their two boys, Fletcher, 2, and Rory, 8) moved to Flick 18 months ago, and have already saved a whopping $2,303.05. A one-income family, they hated the shock of their monthly power bills with their previous retailer.
Their Flick bills range from $28 a week over summer to around $50-60 a week during winter – a huge difference from their previous retailer.
In Christchurch live Geoff Walker and Sarah Pettigrew with their 3-yearold daughter, Mayan. Geoff says, ‘I like the option of being able to access the variable (spot price) rate; I love the weekly billing for budgeting purposes, and as an accountant I feel like I’m getting a fair rate for my power.’
Lauren and John Donnan made the move from Auckland to Dunedin in March this year, along with their 18-month-old daughter, India.
As Flick customers in Auckland, they were so happy with their savings they decided to re-join Flick in Dunedin. In those two months, they’ve saved $96.47. John says, ‘we often have extended family and friends staying, so we use the Flick app to keep tabs on our power usage – and we love that Flick is so transparent!’
They’re also big proponents of Flick’s smart technology. ‘I like the instantaneous nature of the CHOICE app, and the fact it can tell me the impact of carbon emissions from electricity on the environment.’
The CHOICE app is a world first, showing Kiwis the live carbon impact of the electricity in the grid at any given time, so we can make a conscious choice about the type of power we consume. It’s good for the planet, good for New Zealand’s infrastructure, and given the lovely correlation between clean energy and low spot prices, it’s also good for your wallet.
