Powershop

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Powershop
File:Powershop.png
Type State-owned enterprise
Founded 2007
Headquarters Wellington, New Zealand
Area served Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Wairarapa, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, Invercargill
Founder(s) Ari Sargent, Simon Coley
Key people Ari Sargent, CEO
Industry Electricity retailing
Products Electricity, gas (planned)
Employees 65[1]
Parent Meridian Energy
Slogan(s) Same power, different attitude
Website powershop.co.nz
Powershop Australia
File:Powershop Australia logo.jpg
Founded 2012
Headquarters Melbourne, Australia
Area served Victoria, New South Wales, Australia
Key people Ben Burge, CEO
Industry Electricity retailing
Products Electricity
Employees 50-100
Parent Meridian Energy
Slogan(s) Same power, different attitude; A better power company; You've had electricity, now you have power.
Website powershop.com.au

Powershop is an online electricity retailer, originally founded in New Zealand and available in Australia as well. Powershop is a 51% New Zealand state-owned enterprise and claims to be the first electricity company in the world where consumers can choose between different brands of electrical power listed on the website and switch between them with the click of a button.[2] Different brands of power may offer lower prices, sponsorships or environmental benefits. Users can either let the system automatically buy power from the cheapest supplier, or log in regularly to take advantage of specials. Powershop initially claimed it would always be the cheapest company for the "typical" consumer in New Zealand. This claim was later dropped.[3]

Powershop was found to be the cheapest electricity retailer for the typical consumer in the main centers by the Ministry of Economic Development.[4][5] It was the best company in Consumers' Institute of New Zealand's 2011 survey of electricity companies. 96% of Powershop customers found it 'good' or 'very good'.[6] Powershop was rated 96% again in 2012.[7]

History

Meridian traditionally had been a major electricity generator, but only a small retailer.[8] In 2006, Ari Sargent, an electricity industry veteran, had an idea to increase Meridian's market share in the retail market: turn electricity from a utility into a consumer good.[9] Initially, it was planned to sell electricity tokens in supermarkets, but that idea was scrapped due to cost and they turned the idea to the Internet.

Sargent, together with Simon Coley, a design specialist, founded Powershop in September 2007. In September 2008, Powershop bought its predecessor, Meridian Energy's Marketplace Innovations Business Unit, for NZ$1.26 million in stock.[10] After 14 months of private beta, it officially launched to the public on 22 February 2009 and was unofficially available in the weeks prior.[11]

Using Powershop

Once a user signs up to Powershop, there is no need for them to visit the Powershop website anymore. Powershop will buy the cheapest "Everyday" electricity for them automatically. However, users that do visit the Powershop website can take advantage of the "Specials" and "Powerpacks" that are on offer from time to time.

Powershop will read the electricity meter once a month, but users are encouraged to read the meter themselves more often to understand their power usage more. Graphs and charts of power usage are provided to the customer. (2014-03-04 'Smart' meters seem to be read daily, and provide usage figures each half hour.)

All power buying must be performed via their website and payment made by credit card, direct debit or online banking. Phone, Skype and Twitter support are available.[12][13] Customers can also credit their account at PostShops. As a launch promotion, a signup pack was sold at The Warehouse.[14]

Powershop provides an API for 3rd party developers to write programs that work with it.[15]

Products

File:PowershopProducts.png
Some of the products available on Powershop.

There are three main types of products:

  • Everyday - can be used immediately, valid for 2–3 months, sold in blocks of 1 kWh.
  • Powerpacks - electricity futures that must be used later.
  • Specials - Sold in blocks of approximately one week's usage. Limited quantity available.

Prices for power are given as a single cents per kilowatt-hour, and are customised to the customer based on their location, metering configuration, usage and time of year. There are no separate tariffs for separate meters, with the single price per unit adjusting based on the types of meters at the property (anytime, controlled, day/night, etc.), and the usage on each meter (e.g. a cheaper price will be offered if more electricity is consumed on controlled or night). There are no separate fixed daily charges, with the daily charges charged by Transpower and local lines companies to connect the property to the national grid incorporated into the single price per unit, meaning low-use customers will pay more per unit to cover these charges.

In contrast with fixed year-round price or split winter/summer prices charged by regular New Zealand power retailers, electricity prices on Powershop vary month-to-month with seasonal variations in the wholesale electricity price, meaning customers generally pay less per unit during spring and summer and more during autumn and winter. This does have the unfortunate consequence that customers will have to pay more per unit if there is an electricity shortage, such as years with low hydro lake levels or a failure in a major piece of electricity infrastructure, whereas a company charging fixed prices can mostly absorb the costs of these shocks from the extra money earned over summer.

Currently, there are several brands of power available on Powershop.[16]

  • Standard Power - Powershop bulk standard electricity (Everyday and Powerpacks) Powershop also offer specials during holidays.

Rugby teams

File:Powershop specials.png
Specials released during holidays

One cent per unit will be donated to the rugby team. Rebadged Powershop.[17]

  • Crusaders (Powerpacks nationwide with chance to win a signed jersey, Everyday at Christchurch)
  • Otago Rugby (Only available as Everyday at Dunedin)

Meridian

Powershop's parent company, Meridian, is a majority state owned enterprise also publicly listed on the NZX and the ASX. Meridian Energy is the largest 100% renewable generator in Australasia.

PowerKiwi

PowerKiwi is a new power company started by a group of New Zealand bloggers. Currently, they buy electricity wholesale from Powershop.[18]

  • Flower Power - cheap power "you can be happy with" (Everyday and Specials)
  • The Green Power Company - Voluntary Carbon Standard carbon offset electricity (Everyday only)
  • Tree Power - a tree is planted for every 30 kWh purchased (Everyday only)

Airshed

Airshed is a specialist carbon management company.

Metering

All customers with a normal non-prepay electricity meter and an internet connection can join Powershop, no special equipment is needed.[19] For maximum effectiveness, customers have to read their power meter often and enter the readings into the website. This can be annoying. Powershop will automatically get readings from customers with smart meters, but only for customers who already have one. It will not install smart meters for customers.[20] Customers with Arc Innovation brand smart meters can get their readings updated daily.[21] All customers in Christchurch with a smart meter receives a rebate of 5c/unit (a discount of around 20%) for power used in weekends.[22]

Reception

Powershop planned on 4-50,000 customers in its first year.[23] Powershop achieved 5000 customers in October 2009,[24] and 10000 customers in February 2010.[25] CEO Ari Sargent blamed this on inertia and general distrust of power companies.[26] Energy expert Molly Melhuish claims that because "people are so terrified of their power bills", "a majority of people" wouldn't want to try a new concept like Powershop.[27] The Consumers' Institute of New Zealand welcomes initiatives to increase retail power competition.[28]

In a survey by the Ministry of Economic Development, Powershop was found to be the cheapest electricity retailer for the typical consumer (one who consumes 8000kWh/year) in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Manawatu and New Plymouth. It is the second cheapest in Wanganui and Wairarapa.[5][29]

In Consumers' Institute of New Zealand's 2009 survey of electricity companies, Powershop gained the highest rating ever in the history of the survey. 92% of Powershop customers found it 'good' or 'very good'. It did not receive a single poor rating from any of its customers.[6] In 2010, it again received a 92% satisfaction rating. In 2011 and again in 2012, it gained a 96% customer satisfaction rating.[30]

In Australia, Powershop is ranked 1st of 15 companies for customer service tracked by social media tracking website, servicerage.com.[31]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ http://blog.powershop.co.nz/?p=54#comment-1797
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices: Updated to 15 August 2009
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 [1] Archived December 6, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ [2] Archived December 8, 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/pdfs/opdev/retail/regstats/regstatspdfs/percenticps/Oct09-Appendix1.html ICP per retailer October 09 - Electricity Commission
  9. ↑ http://www.idealog.co.nz/magazine/20/power-trip
  10. ↑ [3]
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Powershop website
  13. ↑ Powershop on Twitter
  14. ↑ http://www.powershop.co.nz/faq.html#faq-70-70
  15. ↑ http://groups.google.com/group/powershop-developers
  16. ↑ [4]
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ [5]
  19. ↑ [6]
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ http://blog.powershop.co.nz/?p=57#comment-1411
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ https://twitter.com/powershop/status/5249719007
  25. ↑ https://twitter.com/powershop/status/9124893288
  26. ↑ http://www.webcitation.org/5jm6F6m2j
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Stuff:Powershop shown to be the cheapest
  30. ↑ [7]
  31. ↑ http://servicerage.com/energy

External links

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