Ngai Tahu Tariff Review
Electricity rates, for sites both large and small, can vary markedly between retailers. Further, there are many pricing options even within one retailer and selecting (or being put onto) the wrong one can increase electricity costs markedly.
Ngai Tahu approached Enercon, concerned that the electricity charges of one of their Queenstown sites was too high. Enercon reviewed their electricity accounts and found that energy rates were very good, but charges levied by the electricity distribution company accounted for 60% of the total bill. These high distribution charges made the electricity very expensive.
Enercon’s investigations into the distribution charges levied by the retailer found that significant savings could be realised if the site electricity capacity could be downgraded. Aotea Electric were hired by Ngai Tahu to perform a physical assessment of the site capacity requirements and recommended a downgrade from 250 Amp to 200 Amp.
This downgrade moved the site into a lower capacity bracket, therefore utilising lower distribution charges.
Savings from this project have been verified at $13,000 + GST per year, equating to 40% of the annual energy bill. The consultancy and implementation cost was minimal, making this a highly worthwhile project.