Your Energy Questions, Answered
General questions
The best place to start is Step 1 of our 5 Step Process: get independent advice before you commit to anything. An independent energy advisor can help you understand what's right for your situation. See our 'Start Here' guides for homes or businesses.
No. Unison is a lines company — we own and operate the electricity network. We don't install solar, batteries, EV chargers, or other equipment. What we do is process your application to connect solar to the grid, and manage the network connection. You'll need to engage a qualified solar installer for the installation itself.
Your electricity retailer (companies like Mercury, Contact, Genesis, Meridian, Flick, and others) sells you power and manages your billing. Unison delivers that power to your property via our network. They are separate services, and you can switch retailers without it affecting your network connection. Click here to see our list of retailers and some useful links to help you choose the best one for you.
Yes. Before any solar system is installed, you must complete Unison's Application to Connect Distributed Generation (DG1 form). The Electricity Industry Participation Code requires that any home energy installation capable of injecting electricity into the network be approved by the local network company. Your installer should also be aware of this requirement.
For homeowners
Technically yes, but it's usually not the most cost-effective option in our regions. New Zealand's electricity grid is predominantly renewable, so being connected to the grid still means you're mostly using clean energy. A fully off-grid setup requires significant battery storage to handle periods of low sun or high demand. An independent advisor can help you model the costs and benefits for your specific situation.
Hawke's Bay in particular has excellent solar resources. Whether solar is 'worth it' for you depends on your roof orientation, your electricity usage patterns, your current tariff, and how you use any excess generation. The EECA GenLess tool (genless.govt.nz) is a free way to get a first-pass estimate for your property.
There are good reasons to at least review your gas dependency, given New Zealand's gas supply situation. Whether you should switch — and to what — depends on your home, your budget, and your priorities. A heat pump is usually the most efficient electric heating option. We'd recommend getting independent advice before making any changes. See Step 1 of our guide.
For businesses
The short answer: start planning now, even if you're not ready to act yet. New Zealand's gas supply is declining, and understanding your exposure and options is important regardless of your timeline. Get an independent energy advisor to assess your operation and your options. Talk to EECA about co-funding for feasibility work. And talk to Unison early about what a transition to electric process heat would mean for your network connection.
It varies depending on the scope of the upgrade. Minor upgrades may take weeks; larger projects involving substation upgrades or new infrastructure can take months. This is precisely why we encourage early engagement. Contact us at the planning stage, not after you've committed to a project timeline.
EECA has historically offered co-funding for process heat fuel switching projects. Eligibility, funding amounts, and application windows change over time. Check eecabusiness.govt.nz for current programmes, and talk to an independent energy advisor who can help you build the application. An energy audit is usually required as part of the application.
Yes. We have a Distributed Energy Connection Map on our website that shows indicative hosting capacity on the high-voltage network. For larger projects, contact our commercial connections team and we can provide more detailed information as part of early engagement.