Power prices in Timaru

As at May 2026, electricity in Timaru averaged 43.13c 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 $3,450 a year. That is 2.6% above the national average of 42.04c, making Timaru the 26th 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 Timaru the lines component is 17.95c per kWh — 42% of the total, against 40% nationally. The remaining 25.18c covers energy, metering and retailer costs, which vary far less by location.

Alpine Energy. Timaru sits in the South Canterbury (Alpine Energy) network reporting region, and Alpine Energy 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 66 1177. Your retailer is who you choose and who bills you; the lines company is fixed by where you live.

Yes. In February 2004 the Timaru average was 15.68c per kWh; by May 2026 it was 43.13c — a rise of 175% over 22 years. Over the last twelve months alone it rose 6.0%.

Possibly. The MBIE figure is an average of publicly advertised tariffs across Timaru, not a quote — what you pay depends on your usage, your meter and which company you are with. Switching retailer does not change the 17.95c lines component, but it does change the 25.18c that sits on top of it. Comparing the companies we work with is free and takes a couple of minutes.