Power prices in Taumarunui

As at May 2026, electricity in Taumarunui averaged 45.92c 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 $3,674 a year. That is 9.2% above the national average of 42.04c, making Taumarunui the 12th 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 Taumarunui the lines component is 20.72c per kWh — 45% of the total, against 40% nationally. The remaining 25.20c covers energy, metering and retailer costs, which vary far less by location.

The Lines Company. Taumarunui sits in the King Country (The Lines Company) network reporting region, and The Lines Company 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 367 328. Your retailer is who you choose and who bills you; the lines company is fixed by where you live.

Yes. In February 2004 the Taumarunui average was 19.62c per kWh; by May 2026 it was 45.92c — a rise of 134% over 22 years. Over the last twelve months alone it rose 7.4%.

Possibly. The MBIE figure is an average of publicly advertised tariffs across Taumarunui, not a quote — what you pay depends on your usage, your meter and which company you are with. Switching retailer does not change the 20.72c lines component, but it does change the 25.20c that sits on top of it. Comparing the companies we work with is free and takes a couple of minutes.