A Shorter Shower? Maybe. Going Wi-Fi And Screen Free? No Thanks.

Most Kiwis are not willing to give up Netflix or have a Wi-Fi free day to save money on their power bill despite continued cost of living pressures, according to a new consumer survey.

However, 70% of New Zealanders would be prepared to change the time they run the dishwasher or do their laundry to take advantage of off-peak power times.

The research, for community owned electricity provider, Pulse Energy, found just 16% of Kiwis would be prepared to have a wi-fi or screen free day each week at home to save money.

It is worth noting, while turning Wi-Fi and screens off isn’t the most significant way to save money, every little bit helps with electricity savings. Almost a fifth (18%) would consider the idea of a powerless day each week.

Pulse Energy conducted the survey to identify ways people are saving money on their power bill and managing household expenses at a time when cost of living continues to impact day-to-day spending on staples such as food, power, and other utilities.

The power of the shower

Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents said they are having less showers or baths per week to save on power, meanwhile almost half (45%) said they would consider showering after 9pm to take advantage of off-peak rates.

One customer, who did not want to be named, imposes a “powerful incentive” for their family to ensure they understand the cost of power.

“If you have children who live with you and who are in the workforce, instead of a fixed board payment, get them to pay the power bill.

“When they learn the cost of power, they will be more conscious of the power they use with their long showers.”

Keeping the lights on

The main reason people did not pay their power bill by its due date was because they forgot (46%). However, almost 53% contacted their power company to make a payment arrangement after they knew they’d missed paying their bill. This winter more than a quarter who didn’t pay their bill on time (28%) could not afford to pay the total balance of their power bills.

Pulse Energy CEO Sharnie Warren says winter is a particularly tough time for consumers, but significant savings can be made all year round by doing small things such as turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use.

“The overall high cost of living on top of this makes finding ways for families to save money on their power bills even more important,” she says.

“Heated towel rails cost 50c a day to run which over a year does mount up. You can also squeeze out extra power savings by using less hot water by having shorter showers or washing clothes on a cold-water cycle,” she says.

To reduce household power use, the survey found more than three quarters (76%) turn off lights, almost half (42%) turn off appliances at the wall, and washing clothes and dishes in cold water was a go-to for half of respondents.

Electricity customers canvassed about their energy saving tips offered a mix of both practical and creative solutions, from boiling the kettle once in the morning and using a thermos to hold the boiling water during the day, to wearing Ugg boots.

Baked potatoes – done in the microwave and finished in the air fryer rather than the oven – was a suggestion from one customer when asked for power saving tips.

Changing people’s power habits

According to the research, a quarter of Kiwis shift their power consumption to off-peak to save money on their power bill.

“The survey found two thirds of New Zealanders would change when they use power to take advantage of discounted electricity rates. So, we are open to changing our behaviour.

“For example, almost half (47%) said they would charge devices and EVs overnight to help manage power consumption and capitalise on off-peak times.

“You have to be a little more organised but once you get in a routine it can save you significant amounts of money over the course of a year,” she says.

Survey / Sample Size

Online survey of 500 New Zealanders aged 18 plus with respondents sourced from the Yabble and Dynata panels. Quotas applied to achieve 50% of responses from the North Island and 50% from the South Island. The approximate maximum margin of error on results is +/- 4.4%.

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