Trustpower named top energy retailer in NZ

Trustpower, controlled by Infratil asked the country's highest court to overturn a ruling from the Court of Appeal in the tax department's favour. Photo / NZME

Trustpower has gained 30,000 new customers in 12 months and was named the top energy retailer in the country.

The Tauranga-based retailer was recognised at the Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards in Auckland tonight.

Trustpower's growth was put down to its combined electricity, gas and telecommunications packages and it was the highest scorer of the 'big-five' energy retailers in the 2015 Consumer NZ survey.

Powershop and Energy Online were named finalists in the category, which was judged in conjunction with Consumer NZ for the first time this year.

Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said customer satisfaction played a big part in choosing the winner.

"We've been surveying customer satisfaction of energy retailers for many years, and it was very important to us to be able to use the results of that surveying to assist in choosing who would be the Consumer NZ Energy Retailer of the Year," she said.

"Our role as watchdog is incredibly important, but so is rewarding business and service providers who get it right for consumers."

Fuel retailer Chevron NZ won the community initiative award for its driving mentor scheme.

Mike Dunstall, general manager of geothermal resources and development at Contact Energy, was named energy executive of the year for his leadership of the firm's $1 billion Wairakei investment programme and former Meridian Energy chief executive Keith Turner was recognised for making an outstanding contribution to the energy sector.

Turner was Meridian's first chief executive. In his nine years with the business, the company commissioned three wind farms in New Zealand, developed and sold the Southern Hydro business in Australia and completed the second tail-race at Manapouri.

Simon Bridges, Minister of Energy and Resources, congratulated all the winners and finalists.

"These awards set a benchmark for the sector to aspire to. Industry excellence is part and parcel of maintaining a competitive edge, both domestically and in the international arena," he said.

Tonight's awards were the sixth since 2010.

The winners:

• Consumer NZ Energy Retailer of the Year: Trustpower
• Community Initiative of the Year: Chevron New Zealand - Community Mentor Driving Programme
• Large Energy User Initiative of the Year: Norske Skog Tasman - Minimising energy costs at Tasman mill
• Energy Executive of the Year: Mike Dunstall - Contact Energy
• Young Energy Executive of the Year: Kerry Williamson - Shell New Zealand
• Editor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Sector: Keith Turner
• Environmental Initiative of the Year: Powerco - Gas environmental programme
• Health & Safety Initiative of the Year: Shell Todd Oil Services - Zero harm@Ruru
• Energy Project of the Year: Contact Energy - Wairakei investment programme
• Innovation in Energy Award: Transpower - emsTradepoint.