Power prices in New Plymouth

As at May 2026, electricity in New Plymouth averaged 43.04c per kWh including GST. For a household using 8,000 kWh a year on a low-user plan, paying on time and taking any prompt-payment discount, with controlled hot water, that works out to roughly $3,443 a year. That is 2.4% above the national average of 42.04c, making New Plymouth the 27th most expensive of the 42 towns MBIE surveys.

Lines charges are the part of a power bill that changes most from town to town, because every area is served by a different network. In New Plymouth the lines component is 19.66c per kWh — 46% of the total, against 40% nationally. The remaining 23.37c covers energy, metering and retailer costs, which vary far less by location.

Powerco. New Plymouth sits in the Taranaki (Powerco) network reporting region, and Powerco owns and maintains the poles and wires — so they are who you call in a power cut, not your power company. Their faults line is 0800 27 27 27. Your retailer is who you choose and who bills you; the lines company is fixed by where you live.

Yes. In February 2004 the New Plymouth average was 16.53c per kWh; by May 2026 it was 43.04c — a rise of 160% over 22 years. Over the last twelve months alone it rose 7.2%.

Possibly. The MBIE figure is an average of publicly advertised tariffs across New Plymouth, not a quote — what you pay depends on your usage, your meter and which company you are with. Switching retailer does not change the 19.66c lines component, but it does change the 23.37c that sits on top of it. Comparing the companies we work with is free and takes a couple of minutes.