Power prices in Wellington City

As at May 2026, electricity in Wellington City averaged 37.01c 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 $2,961 a year. That is 12.0% below the national average of 42.04c, making Wellington City the 42nd 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 Wellington City the lines component is 12.28c per kWh — 33% of the total, against 40% nationally. The remaining 24.73c covers energy, metering and retailer costs, which vary far less by location.

Wellington Electricity. Wellington City sits in the Wellington (Wellington Electricity) network reporting region, and Wellington Electricity 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 248 148. Your retailer is who you choose and who bills you; the lines company is fixed by where you live.

Yes. In February 2004 the Wellington City average was 16.34c per kWh; by May 2026 it was 37.01c — a rise of 126% over 22 years. Over the last twelve months alone it rose 6.5%.

Possibly. The MBIE figure is an average of publicly advertised tariffs across Wellington City, not a quote — what you pay depends on your usage, your meter and which company you are with. Switching retailer does not change the 12.28c lines component, but it does change the 24.73c that sits on top of it. Comparing the companies we work with is free and takes a couple of minutes.