power prices
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Electric Kiwi says four big companies are selling wholesale power at a steep price, which means we're having to pay more to keep the lights on. It's no secret, our cost of living is high and power bills are part of that headache. In a recent email to its customers, power company Electric Kiwi passed on the blame for rising rates, saying it's having to pay record prices for wholesale electricity. It pointed to the big four generators - Mercury, Meridian, Contact and Genesis - saying they've increased the cost of wholesale power, even though they've doubled their net profits in the last year from $788 million to more than $1.5 billion.Those generators though say the hike in wholesale cost is because of the rising cost of thermal fuels like gas, coal or diesel and increasing carbon costs.But veteran electricity analyst Molly Melhuish has called that "profit-seeking" behaviour and that our funding model is broken. "We'll charge everything as the highest price on the system which these days is usually coal-fired generation."That means cheaper-to-produce power options like hydro or wind are priced the same as costlier generators, like coal. That's despite coal only making up roughly 7 percent of our electricity generation.Melhuish said there's little incentive to change. The Government owns 51 percent of three big power companies - Meridian, Genesis and Mercury and when they profit, so does the Government.She believed the companies are revenue-gathering now to help pay for future infrastructure needs to cope with the influx of electric cars.The Electricity Authority (EA) said it's looking into wholesale pricing to ensure the market is working in the best interests of consumers. But Melhuish said the sector needs an overhaul including the EA. "That means you'd have to have a real regulator, not just a fake regulator which the Electricity Authority is because it is governed by the very profit-seeking corporations that they're trying to regulate," said Melhuish. But there is one thing you can do to help reduce your bills and it's as simple as a click of a mouse button online and compare providers on Powerswitch."What we found is consumers on average are saving $385 by changing their electricity providers," said Powerswitch's Paul Fuge.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Riddle Alert! Who’s Up for Some Brain-Busting Fun?
4-letter word, always done tomorrow,
We’re out of tea, the ultimate sorrow!
Without the eye, you owe me some money,
No sugar no nectar no sweetness no honey,
4-letter word, if by chance you choose,
You can never win, you can only lose!
What is the 4-letter word?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.5% Yes
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14.9% No
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2.6% Other - I'll share below
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