Trouble paying your power bill
It’s getting harder to make ends meet so if you’re having difficulty paying your electricity bill, or think you will, please call. If you genuinely don’t have enough money, we can help.
Rising costs of living are stretching household budgets. Economists warn Kiwis will need to find an extra $110 per week to keep up with soaring prices over the next 12 months.
These difficulties are nothing to be embarrassed about, whatever the circumstances, we want to keep your power on. We have payment options available, and we can refer you to budget advisors and other services that can help.
You can reach us on 0800 947 867, 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday & 9am to 4pm Friday, or email hello@octopusenergy.nz
If you miss a payment:
First, please let us know you need a hand so you don’t get any further into debt. We can set up a payment plan, change your payment date, or change the time you pay from monthly to fortnightly.
You can choose a support person like a friend or a family member we can work with to sort this out.
You may be eligible for support from Work and Income and we can help by referring you to them. If you're on a low income or not working you can call them on: 0800 559 009
Financial support agencies offer advice to manage budgets or help with payments for energy:
Money Talks is a free service that can connect you to an appropriate budgeting service near you. 0800 345 123 / Text: 4029 / help@moneytalks.co.nz
Citizens Advice Bureau 0800 FOR CAB (0800 367 222)
New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services 0508 BUDGET (0508 283 438)
Salvation Army check their website for local contact details.
Are you medically dependent?
If you haven’t already told us that you need electricity for medical reasons, email us, or give us a call on 0800 947 867. It’s really important we have this information on file for your safety. We need it to ensure we can let your local lines company know when they have planned outages, and let any field technicians know if they need to do work at your property.
Saving power will save you money too
Using less electricity and making the most of our Peak, Off Peak and Night tariffs will reduce your power bill.
Here are some tips:
Make sure you are on the right plan
We can check if you’re on the best plan for your needs. If you are, and you’re still having problems, there are other options we can discuss.
Is there another way of contacting you if you need help?
Do you think that in future you may have trouble communicating with us or paying your electricity bills? Give us a way of reaching you through someone else — an alternate contact.
An alternate contact can be a family member, friend, or social agency. They need to have agreed to help you if you’re:
Having trouble understanding the information we give you
Having trouble paying
Facing disconnection of your electricity.
You can give us more than one name to contact. If you would like us to record an alternate contact on your account, get in touch.
Whatever your circumstances, if you’re worried about paying your power bill, please talk to our team. We want to help.
