We knew broadband was in desperate need of a shake-up, but even we didn’t expect to take home the award for best-rated power and internet provider this quickly.

We’ve been making things better in the energy market for almost a decade now – but Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers Award for bundled utilities comes barely 12 months after we launched our broadband offers. Quite a result!

We’re now on a mission to make broadband better for consumers – and this recognition only seems to confirm our view that Kiwis are hungry for change in the telco space.

Going straight to the top of the ratings, we achieved five-star reviews across all research categories, including value for money, customer service, bills & cost clarity, tools & advice, as well as our focus on environmental sustainability. Most importantly of all, we scored five stars for overall satisfaction.

The old energy dinosaurs mostly got three and four stars across the board. Mercury, Contact and Genesis all received four stars for overall satisfaction, with Trustpower and Slingshot scoring three stars.

The results are based on a survey of more than 680 Kiwi households who have the same provider for both their power and broadband. Full details on Canstar Blue website.

Topping the Canstar research earns us this sweet award, so sorry (not sorry) if you start seeing it all over the place!

Turns out Kiwis want no BS broadband – who knew?

“We’ve had a great reaction since launching our broadband offers, from existing energy customers as well as those who have joined us for the first time,” says Electric Kiwi CEO Luke Blincoe. “Just like we have done in electricity for a while now, we’re fully committed to making broadband better for Kiwi consumers by cutting out the crap of contracts, arbitrary fees, and nonsensical notice periods that seem to be designed to discourage households from switching.

“Our own research shows that contracts, exit fees and notice periods are preventing customers from switching to better deals, all of which works in the interest of the old-fashioned brands, who have a history of openly relying on confusion as their chief marketing tool. Those who have gone ahead and switched in recent years are overwhelmingly pleased they did, however, and we’ll continue to work on making the process as easy as possible, whether the big telcos are interested or not.

“You get none of the BS with us, just fair prices that are charged by the day, so you will only ever pay for what you need. There’s no trousering an extra month’s fee if you need to leave us. That’s just the fairer way of doing things.

“We’ll take this award as a sign that we’re on the right track. We value every customer who is with us for energy, broadband, or both, and thank them for their support.”

What’s the Canstar Blue award all about?

Canstar Blue is a professional research agency that produces customer satisfaction ratings across hundreds of products and services in Australia and New Zealand. They do this by surveying a panel of consumers and asking them about their experiences in the relevant categories. The feedback they receive is translated into the star ratings you see in the table above.

Their research is based on a representative sample of the Kiwi population, so it’s not a popularity competition but a genuine reflection of how consumers feel about their service providers. That’s why we value this award so highly.

The Canstar award adds to our recent success in picking up the NZ Compare People’s Choice Award for Power, as well as the Gold Readers Digest Quality Service Award for Energy Providers.

Canstar NZ General Manager Jose George says: “Bundling household utilities can provide notable benefits for the consumer, including value and service. However, it’s still important to choose the right provider for your needs.

“Electric Kiwi’s award win, in its first year providing broadband, is impressive. It has long rated well for electricity and consumers gave it five stars across all drivers of satisfaction, including service and cost clarity. We congratulate the team for their achievements in an extremely competitive space.”

So… wanna broadband with us?

There are lots of reasons to consider joining EK for energy and broadband, or adding broadband to your existing electricity account. There are no contracts, exit fees or notice periods (we hate them), and our broadband comes with daily rates, so you’ll only ever pay for what you need. You can bring your own device for broadband, or get the sweet Orbi modem we provide at no extra cost.

There are two fast-speed plans to choose from. Get all the details here and jump onto live chat if you have any questions.