Your bill will more than likely be higher because you have used more electricity. You are charged based on the amount of electricity used per month/fortnight/week depending on your billing cycle. In general, you will use more electricity in the winter months than summer, so your bill will be higher during these times.

If you would like to understand your electricity usage more, log in to your Electric Kiwi account at any time to see your daily usage. There's also some handy info on our consumer care page. If you're still unsure, just contact us.

1. We can reverse the balance back to the Ministry of Social Development/ Work and Income New Zealand.
2. You can keep your account with us in credit, which will then go towards your bills.

It depends how you pay:

Direct debit:

Can take up to 3 business days (or 5 calendar days) to fully clear and show on your account.

Credit card / debit card:

Usually instant. You'll normally see the payment reflected on your balance straight away, but it can sometimes take a few minutes.

Account‑to‑account (A2A / bank transfer via our payment page):

Usually instant. You'll normally see the payment reflected on your balance straight away, but it can sometimes take a few minutes.

If you've made a payment and it's within the normal clearance time:

Direct debit: up to 3 business days / 5 calendar days

Card or Account to Account: Usually instant. You'll normally see the payment reflected on your balance straight away, but it can sometimes take a few minutes.

We won't disconnect you just because your payment hasn't fully cleared yet.

If you've received a disconnection notice and you're unsure whether your payment has gone through, please get in touch with us and we'll check it for you.

• Double‑check your bank or card statement to confirm it was processed.
• If it's showing as paid at your bank but not on your Electric Kiwi account, contact us so we can look into it.

You can:

• Log in to your Electric Kiwi account and check your latest balance and payment history.
• Check your bank or card statement for the transaction.
• If something doesn't look right, get in touch and we'll help you sort it.

Our consumer care page is a great place to start. You'll find information on billing options, fees, payment support and plenty of tips to help keep your power bill down, along with a bunch of other handy stuff.

You can update your payment details anytime through our website or app. We accept NZ bank accounts and Visa or Mastercard debit or credit cards.

To update your details:

1. Head to the Account tab
2. Select Update under Payment Method
3. Enter your new payment details
4. Hit Confirm

That's it - your new payment method will be saved and ready to go.

When you sign up for power, you'll need to choose between two tariff types. The right one depends on how much electricity your household uses each year.

Standard User Best for households using more than 8,000 kWh per year (9,000 kWh in some South Island regions). Typically suits larger households of four or more people.

• Higher daily fixed charge
• Lower rate per kWh used

Low User Best for households using less than 8,000 kWh per year (9,000 kWh in some South Island regions). Typically suits smaller households of one to three people.

• Lower daily fixed charge
• Higher rate per kWh used

The Low User tariff is actually in the process of being phased out across New Zealand. Here's why.

The short answer: fairer pricing for everyone.

It turns out the low fixed charge wasn't quite doing what it was supposed to. Rather than helping lower-income households, it was actually benefiting well-insulated homes with modern, energy-efficient technology - the kind of homes that don't need as much power to stay warm anyway.

Meanwhile, larger families in older, draughtier homes - often those with lower incomes - couldn't cut their usage enough to see any real benefit. Not exactly fair.

Removing it should level the playing field for New Zealand households across the board.

What's happening and when?

During the phase-out, the daily fixed charge will gradually increase each year. Every 30c increase works out to around $2.10 more per week.

We'll always let you know in advance before any price changes affect your account.

For more info including a short explainer video, visit the MBIE website.

Will my bill go up?

While most New Zealanders are expected to benefit in the long run, some households may see higher bills during the transition. If that's you, we're here to help - our Consumer Care page has info on billing options, payment support and plenty of tips to help keep your power costs down.