Power prices in Whakatane

As at May 2026, electricity in Whakatane averaged 43.24c 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 $3,459 a year. That is 2.8% above the national average of 42.04c, making Whakatane the 25th 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 Whakatane the lines component is 17.19c per kWh — 40% of the total, against 40% nationally. The remaining 26.05c covers energy, metering and retailer costs, which vary far less by location.

Horizon Networks. Whakatane sits in the Eastern Bay of Plenty (Horizon Energy) network reporting region, and Horizon Networks 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 467 496. Your retailer is who you choose and who bills you; the lines company is fixed by where you live.

Yes. In February 2004 the Whakatane average was 20.11c per kWh; by May 2026 it was 43.24c — a rise of 115% over 22 years. Over the last twelve months alone it rose 5.0%.

Possibly. The MBIE figure is an average of publicly advertised tariffs across Whakatane, not a quote — what you pay depends on your usage, your meter and which company you are with. Switching retailer does not change the 17.19c lines component, but it does change the 26.05c that sits on top of it. Comparing the companies we work with is free and takes a couple of minutes.