Energy at Home – For Homeowners
If you're a homeowner wondering whether solar panels, a heat pump, an EV charger, or a battery system might be right for you — or if you're heating with gas and wondering what happens if gas supply becomes less reliable — this guide is for you.
We'll walk you through five practical steps. You don't need to be an energy expert. You just need to be willing to ask a few questions.
5 Step Process
Seek Independent Energy Advice
Before you call a solar company or sign anything, it's worth getting impartial advice. An independent energy advisor has no stake in which product or brand you choose — they're paid to help you understand what's right for your situation. Likewise, there are plenty of free online tools available through EECA (see below) or your energy retailer.
What an advisor can help with:
- Reviewing your current energy use and bills
- Assessing which technologies might be a good fit for your home
- Helping you avoid over-investing in equipment you don't need
- Identifying whether your existing electrical supply can support new equipment
Where to find one:
- The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's (EECA) GenLess tool (genless.govt.nz) is a good free starting point for assessing solar suitability
- Ask your energy retailer if they offer impartial energy assessments
- Look for electricians or energy consultants who are ECANZ-registered or similar
Understand Your Energy Baseline
Before you invest in anything, it's worth knowing where you stand today. This means understanding:
- How much electricity you use (kWh per month) and when you use it
- What fuel sources you currently rely on (electricity, gas, LPG, firewood)
- What your biggest energy costs are
- Whether your home has any constraints (roof orientation, shading, older wiring)
- Check available network capacity at your property with our free capacity maps so you understand what upgrades may be possible: Available network capacity.
Your electricity retailer can provide your usage history. If you have a smart meter, you may be able to access this online. This information is essential before any advisor or installer can give you a reliable quote or recommendation.
Engage Early with the Right People
Once you have a rough sense of what you might want to do, start talking to the parties who need to be involved early. This includes:
- Your electricity retailer (they manage your billing and tariff)
- Qualified installers (for solar, heat pumps, EV chargers)
- Unison (if your plans involve significantly increasing your electricity load or exporting solar power to the grid)
Talk to Unison early if: You're planning to install solar panels larger than a typical residential system, add a battery, install an EV charger that will charge quickly (Level 2 or above), or switch from gas to electric heating across a large home or multiple properties. We can tell you whether your current connection is suitable and what any upgrade process looks like. Check available network capacity at your property with our free capacity maps so you understand what upgrades may be possible: Available network capacity.
Explore EECA support
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) offers tools and, in some cases, funding support for households looking to improve energy efficiency or adopt renewable energy.
Useful starting points:
- GenLess.govt.nz — free solar assessment tool for homeowners
- EECA's home energy efficiency advice at energywise.govt.nz
- Your energy retailer may participate in EECA-supported programmes for insulation, heat pumps, and EV charging
Funding eligibility varies. Check EECA's current programmes directly at eeca.govt.nz as these change over time.
Assess Options and Develop a Staged Plan
Take time to assess your options. You don't have to do everything at once. In fact, a staged approach often works better — both financially and practically.
A typical staged home energy plan might look like:
- Start with efficiency: insulation, LED lighting, smarter appliance use — low cost, immediate savings
- Switch to a heat pump for heating and hot water if you're currently using gas or resistive heating
- Consider solar once you know your actual electricity demand from the heat pump
- Add EV charging when or if you move to an electric vehicle
- Review battery storage only once you have solar and understand your generation and consumption patterns
A good advisor can help you assess your options and sequence these steps to maximise any available funding and avoid redundant investment.
Ready to take the next step?
Energy at Home — For Renters
You can't always choose the heating, insulation, or appliances in a rental — but there's still a lot you can do to make your home warmer, drier, and more affordable to run, and to know where to turn if things get tight.
Understand Your Energy Use
- Your electricity retailer can show you your usage history — knowing when and how you use power is the first step to managing costs
- If your property has a smart meter, you may be able to access this information online
Keep Your Home Warm and Dry
Small changes can make a real difference to comfort and running costs:
- Heating the room you're in, to the right temperature, rather than heating the whole house
- Curtains, draught stoppers, and ventilation to manage heat loss and moisture
- Using appliances efficiently (e.g. cold washes, full loads, lids on pots)
EECA's Energywise has practical, free guidance for renters on heating, insulation, and moisture: energywise.govt.nz
Know Your Rights as a Tenant
Healthy Homes Standards set minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, and moisture in rental properties. For information on what your landlord is required to provide, visit Tenancy Services: https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/
Get the Best Deal on Your Power
- Compare retailers and plans using Powerswitch: powerswitch.org.nz or billy.govt.nz
- Ask your retailer about plans that suit your usage pattern (e.g. time-of-use, prepay)
If You're Struggling with Energy Costs
- Your electricity retailer has obligations to support customers experiencing payment difficulties — contact them directly to discuss options.
- The Power Credits scheme provides eligible households experiencing energy hardship with bill credits of up to $110 (and potentially more), helping offset rising electricity costs as pricing changes roll out. To access support, you need to contact your electricity retailer, who can assess eligibility and apply the credit. Participating retailers include Contact Energy, Mercury, Meridian Energy, and Nova Energy.
Talk to Unison
If you're experiencing power supply issues at your rental property — outages, faults, or concerns about your connection — contact us or call 0800 2 UNISON.