AWARDS FINALIST: Powershop – Fun and savings deliver record growth

Since bursting on to the scene in 2009 with its bold pink branding and irreverent tone, Powershop has never been afraid to challenge the energy industry's status quo.

But in 2024-2025, the challenger brand proved it's more than just a colourful disruptor. A package of new cost-saving offers saw it add about 17,000 new customers in eight months - its biggest-ever gain - and lifted its customer share to an all-time high.

Powershop's mission is simple: deliver cleaner, cheaper energy for all Kiwis. And it's doing just that by putting customers at the centre of everything it does. The heart of the Powershop experience is its unique Shop app - a platform where customers can buy discounted power packs, track usage and manage their accounts in a way that's engaging, empowering and even fun.

Over the past year, Powershop has doubled down on innovation. Its Future Packs initiative encouraged customers to pre-purchase power at discounted rates, helping them save ahead of winter. The result? A 23-per- cent increase in pack purchases and a retention rate of 86 per cent among those who used the feature - well above the average.

Off-peak

For customers with solar panels, the Shop now offers real-time insights into generation and export data, helping optimise usage. And for those without solar, the Get Shifty feature rewards users for shifting consumption to off-peak times, reducing both bills and grid pressure.

But perhaps the most impactful innovation has been Hot-Water Hero - a demand flexibility product that allows Powershop to manage customers' hot water cylinders, shifting load away from peak times. With 8700 customers enrolled and about 7 megawatts of controllable load in place, it's a win-win: customers receive $10 a month and the grid gets much-needed relief.

Powershop's approach to customer acquisition is just as inventive. Instead of a standard joining credit, it offers Free Weekends - giving new customers the first weekend of each month free for a year. This not only delivers greater savings but also gives customers control over how and when they benefit.

Results

The results speak for themselves. From July 2024 to March 2025, Powershop grew its customer base from 120,000 to 137,000 connections - the highest in its history. Brand awareness rose from 65 per cent to 71 per cent and customer satisfaction remained strong with a score of 8.1/10.

Powershop also earned the 2024 Consumer NZ's People's Choice award for the seventh time in a decade and ranked third in Kantar's Customer Leadership Index - beating out brands in more glamorous sectors like travel and retail.

Looking ahead, Powershop is expanding its demand flexibility offerings with Energy Rush Hour, rewarding customers for reducing usage during peak periods. It's also scaling its Energy Wellbeing Programme, which supports households in energy hardship with tailored assistance and energy-efficient upgrades.

The annual Energy Excellence Awards will be held in Wellington on 13 August. The Energy Retailer of the Year Award is sponsored by EDMI.