Power prices in Whanganui

As at May 2026, electricity in Whanganui averaged 43.82c 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 $3,506 a year. That is 4.2% above the national average of 42.04c, making Whanganui the 23rd 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 Whanganui the lines component is 19.66c per kWh — 45% of the total, against 40% nationally. The remaining 24.16c covers energy, metering and retailer costs, which vary far less by location.

Powerco. Whanganui sits in the Wanganui (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 Whanganui average was 16.62c per kWh; by May 2026 it was 43.82c — a rise of 164% over 22 years. Over the last twelve months alone it rose 7.6%.

Possibly. The MBIE figure is an average of publicly advertised tariffs across Whanganui, 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 24.16c that sits on top of it. Comparing the companies we work with is free and takes a couple of minutes.