Electric Kiwi

Electric Kiwi is an independent online New Zealand electricity retailer. Established in 2014, the company is focused on using cloud computing and smart meters to more efficiently service customers in the major urban areas around the country. Its services depend on the presence of the smart meters in the customer's home; with over one million households in New Zealand equipped with smart meters as of January 2014,[1] the majority of the country's population can be served by Electric Kiwi. As the smart meter rollout continues, the company's theoretical area of operation continues to expand. With its ‘no frills’ data-driven approach, Electric Kiwi guarantees that every customer will save a minimum of NZ$200 within their first year of joining. As at November 2016, Electric Kiwi is the fastest growing electricity retailer in New Zealand with over 5300 customers.[2]

History

Electric Kiwi was established in mid-2014 and took on its first ‘test’ customers in December of that year, before launching to the public in May 2015. The company's founders, including Julian Kardos, saw an opportunity in the staid electricity retailing market for a provider which leveraged the capabilities of the hundreds of thousands of smart meters being rolled out countrywide. Despite smart meters being installed in a growing number of New Zealand households, electricity retailers were not using their capabilities for the benefit of customers. Consumer advocacy group Consumer NZ noted,[3] "When we last wrote about smart meters in 2008, we predicted they’d be great for the electricity industry, but were sceptical about the benefits for consumers. Unfortunately, we were right – they’ve saved power companies money, but most of us are yet to enjoy lower costs or increased control over our electricity use." As its point of differentiation, Electric Kiwi set out to use the information from smart meters to allow the more accurate purchase of electricity from wholesalers, passing on the savings to its customers. It also established highly efficient cloud-based business systems and processes, seeking to minimise overheads and pass those savings on to customers. Reflecting its status as a young company – and targeting tech-savvy customers – Electric Kiwi leverages a variety of communication technologies including web chat, on social media, email or telephone, and offers online web self-service.[4] The company doesn’t require customers to enter into a contract, relying on quality of service and low price for customer retention.

Areas of operation

Electric Kiwi services customers in the following local lines company areas

North Island
South Island

See also

References

  1. ↑ "22 January - One million smart electricity meters now installed". www.ea.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  2. ↑ "| The National Business Review". Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  3. ↑ "Smart meters". Consumer NZ. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
  4. ↑ "Contact us ElectricKiwi.co.nz - Smaller. Smarter.". Electric Kiwi. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
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