Hon Hekia Parata
Acting Minister of Energy and Resources
9 June 2011 Media Statement

‘What’s My Number’ campaign proving a hit

The high number of people visiting the ‘What’s My Number’ website to find out how much they can save on their electricity bills proves consumers are willing to shop around for electricity, says Acting Minister of Energy and Resources Hekia Parata.

“In the 12 days since the Electricity Authority’s ‘What’s My Number’ campaign was launched 118,000 consumers have visited the website to find out how much they can save,'' says Ms Parata.

“This shows people’s willingness to shop around and make more informed choices about their electricity supplier.''

The Electricity Authority’s campaign provides consumers with information about how to switch electricity suppliers, the ease of switching and the potential savings that can be made from switching.

The campaign results from a major review of electricity market performance in 2009 which found that residential consumers could make significant savings by switching to the cheapest available retailer.

“Many Kiwi families are concerned about managing their cost of living - power switching to get the best deal for their electricity will help them manage a core component of their everyday costs,'' says Ms Parata.

“Consumers can find out about better deals that may be available to them on www.whatsmynumber.org.nz. It only takes a few minutes to get an estimate of potential savings.’’

The average annual saving for households switching to the cheapest retail option in their area was estimated to be $150 last year – nationally that would equate to savings of $240 million.

"The Government is committed to improving choice for households and helping them put pressure on electricity retailers to give the best value for money,'' says Ms Parata.

ENDS