Prepay Power from Mercury Energy and Contact Energy
Prepay power is available from Mercury energy (Glo-Bug), Contact energy (PrePower) and Meridian. The main purpose of this system is to provide an option to customers of lesser means to control their power usage and not get their power disconnected, which makes them liable to huge reconnection fees they cannot afford.
Contact Energy
Contact energy install a special PrePower meter at your house. A $70 fee is charged for this new meter. You buy electricity either over the phone, with your credit card, or in person at PostShops. Upon purchase, you’ll be given a code which you enter into the keypad on the meter.
The meter has a display panel that shows the number of units of electricity that you have available to use. At any time, you can see how much electricity you’re using and how much you have left.
The price per unit works out at 27 cents for Auckland. This amount includes the daily charge. When compared to metered charge it works out about the same. You can revert back to metered charge anytime you wish.
This system makes you more aware of the amount of power you use and help you control your usage. Any power that you generate through solar or wind will give you a return of 27 cents per unit (Kilowatt Hour).
You do not get a power bill. If you are on holiday or if you generate enough power for your own use you are not charge the daily supply charge.
Mercury Energy
Mercury Energy installs a GLO-BUG smart meter on the customer’s electricity box, which electronically monitors the supply of power to the home. Inside, a GLO-BUG monitor-display shows the customer exactly how much credit ($ worth of electricity) they have in their account and also how the rate of electricity (in kilowatts) that they are using.
When credit runs low the monitor beeps, alerting customers to recharge their power. If credit runs out, the supply of power disconnects automatically. However, with GLO-BUG there are no inconvenient black-outs in the middle of the night. If credit runs out between 5pm and 8am, electricity continues to be supplied to the home until the morning. The credit used during the evening is later deducted from the customers account after they have re-charged their account.
When the meter is installed, the customer is issued with a magnetic swipe card related to their meter. Taking their card to any e-pay retailer, they can top-up their account, making payment to the retailer. Alternatively, customers can also top-up their account over the phone using a credit card.
Prepaid provides customers with the freedom to control how much they spend on electricity at any one time. Unlike monthly power bills which arrive as one accumulated figure that needs to be paid all at once, GLO-BUG allows users to top-up credit in smaller denominations whenever is most convenient for them. With GLO-BUG there are no fixed contracts and no minimum daily spends.
If the customer’s credit expires and their power is cut off, they can re-connect their power instantly the moment they recharge their accounts. This makes GLO-BUG a fantastic solution for anybody who has ever had their power cut-off by the electricity company for failure to pay their bills. With GLO-BUG’s smart meters, there are no lengthy re-connection delays. Re-connection is instant the moment they recharge.
Customers interested in becoming GLO-BUG customers should call Mercury Energy.
we have just purchased a house with a prepaid meter already installed, we have not taken over yet so we were just enquiring as to whether we need to get it connected or just buy a card? It is the first time we have used the meter system so some advice would be much appreciated.
The prepaid card allows a maximum of $200 to be credited. If you use more than this monthly it is a nuisance. This option is great if you are considering partially making your own power.
Correct. Meridian now buys 1 for 1 so this option not so attractive