The People’s Choice award highlights businesses that consistently earn their customers’ trust by delivering strong service, taking responsibility, and competing on performance.
Consumer NZ has raised concerns about performance in the energy sector. It said no retailer meets the standard required to earn the accolade.
“This year, no retailer met the threshold of having both highly satisfied customers and our backing that they are doing a stellar job of looking after their customer base,” campaigns manager Jessica Walker said.
Consumer said the proportion of energy customers who describe themselves as “very satisfied” has been steadily declining over the past three years, a trend that contrasts with other sectors it monitors, where satisfaction levels have generally held up or improved.
“We have seen a rise in the number of people saying they are very concerned about the cost of energy. That’s now climbed to 34% of New Zealanders,” Walker said.
Consumer survey findings suggest a strong level of public frustration, with many New Zealanders viewing energy profits as excessive, power bills as unfair, and the recently reported half-year results from gentailers, or those companies that both generate and sell electricity, as hard to justify.
Walker said, “The areas people are most dissatisfied with are value for money from their energy retailer and a lack of competitive pricing.”
Over the past two years, power prices have risen for all households, although the size of the increases has varied depending on region, plan type, and retailer.
While almost 40% of New Zealanders believe all energy providers charge roughly the same rates, Consumer says this is not accurate. It notes there are still meaningful savings available for households willing to compare plans and shop around for power.
“With satisfaction falling and power bills rising, there has never been a better time to test the market.”
“Vote with your feet, shop around and see what you could save.”