Power switch for 24,000 in Bay

Thousands of Bay residents are swapping power companies because of cheaper deals.

Thousands of Rotorua residents are switching power companies in search of a cheaper deal, new figures show.

More than 24,000 Bay of Plenty customers switched electricity retailers last year, accounting for 18 per cent of all consumers in the region.

This was up on the previous year, when 21,025 Bay households made the switch, representing 15.9 per cent of local customers.

Separate figures for Rotorua were unavailable.

The average Bay of Plenty power bill jumped $83.14 in the year to November 15 - a 3.6 per cent increase, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's quarterly survey of domestic power prices.

Rotorua Budget Advisory Service's Pearl Pavitt said she encouraged clients to switch companies to save money.

"Power is exactly like insurance, it's like your bank, it's like the sort of car you choose. Power is a choice.

"The company that you use is a choice and how much power you use is your own choice and it's absolutely no use saying, 'My power is too expensive', because it's based on what you use so everybody has the right to go to Powerswitch and change."

However, Rotorua customers looking to switch should keep an eye out for "special conditions" that might not suit them.

"[One condition] might be that you do everything over the internet, which is not a lot of good if you don't have a computer."

Nationally, 396,793 customers switched electricity retailers in 2013, making up 19.8 per cent of all customers.

The previous year, 356,750 customers switched companies - 17.8 per cent of all consumers.

According to the Electricity Authority (EA), the average customer saved $175 in 2012 by switching retailers.

EA chief executive Carl Hansen said people were becoming increasingly aware of how to save money on power costs.

"This switching activity is incredibly positive as it shows that customers are actively shopping around for the best deals."

The "What's My Number" campaign - which helps customers find the best deal online - had contributed significantly to the number of people making the change.

But retailers had also played a role, he said.

"Our survey results for 2013 show that there's been a 75 per cent increase in the rate at which retailers were approaching consumers for the first time."

A range of initiatives, like Grey Power's deal with Pulse Energy to offer members discounted electricity, was also boosting switching rates and contributing to "competitive intensity", he said.

Researching options properly and choosing carefully could save some households up to $300 a year, Mr Hansen said.