Z Energy has been providing fuel to New Zealanders since 2011, and now owns and manages nearly 200 service stations across the motu.
In 2018, Z became the majority owner of power company Flick, and in the past year it upped up its stake to 95%. And, this month, it launched its first foray into EV home charging.
What’s on offer from Z Energy Electric?
Z offers two specialised home power plans, one for EV and one for non-EV drivers. Neither plan has a joining fee or a fixed-term contracts, meaning you’re free to leave at any time. The plans are:
- EV at Home plan
- Fuel Back Home plan
EV at Home plan
The EV at Home plan is designed to save EV drivers money when charging their EVs. The plan offers discounted night rates:
- Free power between 3am-6am
- Half-price rates between 9pm-7am
As part of their EV at Home plan, users can get a smart charger fully installed from Z’s partner, Evnex (fees apply). An at-home smart charger speeds up the charging process and helps you get the most out of your free hours of power. The deal allows you to make interest-free repayments on the smart charger as part of your power bill over two years.
Click here for more information on the EV at home plan.
Fuel Back Home plan
Z’s Fuel Back Home plan offers free fuel rewards based on your household power spend. The plan offers:
- 50L of free fuel for joining
- 5L of fuel for every $500 spent on power
Click here for more information on the fuel back home plan.
What is Sharetank?
Sharetank is a convenient fuel solution, found on the Z app, that allows you to pre-purchase petrol at the lowest Z prices.
With Sharetank, you can pre-buy between 2L-1000L at the day’s prices. You can then fill-up at any Z station in NZ, at the pre-paid rate, saving yourself money. Note, the Z petrol station you pre-buy petrol from doesn’t have to be the station that you actually fill-up at.
As a bonus, Z offers free-litre days. On free litre days, you are rewarded with free fuel litres when you pre-purchase 150L or more. A breakdown of bonus litre earnings can be found here.
Like the name suggests, Sharetank can be shared with up to five friends, family members or flatties.
Note: once you make a Sharetank purchase, the price of the fuel you buy is locked in; you are not be able to cancel the purchase if the price of fuel subsequently falls and remains lower than your purchase price.
How do Z Energy’s power plans compare to those of Flick Electric?
As we mention above, Flick and Z Energy are owned by the same company, so how do their power plans compare?
Flick Electric offers two plans:
- Flat
- Off-peak
Flat plan
Flick Electric’s offers power at one flat rate, day and night. Key features include:
- A simple flat-rate plan
- Keep track of your usage/power bills on your Flick Customer Dashboard
- Flexible billing and payment options
Off-peak plan
The off peak plan provides users with cheaper prices during off-peak hours:
- Pay less during off peak-hours (11am-5pm, 9am-7am and all weekend from 12am Saturday-11.59pm Sunday (excluding Christchurch)). Off peak hours for the ORION/Christchurch network are 9pm-7am and all weekend from 12am Saturday-11.59pm Sunday.
- Use the Flick app to keep track of your off peak times
Should you choose Z Electric or Flick Electric?
Both Z Electric and Flick Electric offer power plans that are tailored to different users. So, the best plan for you is one that suits your unique lifestyle and needs.
If you have an EV or are a commuter, a Z Electric plan may be the best choice, as their benefits are targeted towards vehicle users. However, if you use power consistently throughout the day and want a nice and simple power plan, then Flick Electric’s flat plan could be a good choice.
For EV users, Z’s EV at Home plan, and Flick’s Off-peak plan have similar benefits, meaning you can charge your EV for less. However, the convenience of an fully installed home smart charger through Evnex on interest-free terms should be considered. Although, with installation costs starting at $2195, you may be able to find a cheaper option elsewhere.
Compare with Canstar Blue
To help you find the best value electricity retailer, Canstar Blue rates NZ power companies for customer satisfaction and value for money, see the table below for some of the results, or you can click on the button below for the full results of our survey.
Canstar Blue’s latest review of NZ power companies compares them on customer satisfaction. The table below is an abridged version of our full results, available here.
^ By clicking on a brand or 'details' button, you will leave Canstar Blue and be taken to either a product provider website or a Canstar Blue NZ brand page. You agree that Canstar Blue NZ’s terms and conditions apply (without limitation) to your use of this service,to any referral to a product provider from our website, and any transaction that follows. Canstar Blue may earn a fee for referrals from its website tables, and from sponsorship (advertising) of certain products. Payment of sponsorship fees does not influence the star rating that Canstar Blue awards to a sponsored product. Fees payable by product providers for referrals and sponsorship may vary between providers, website position, and revenue model. Sponsorship fees may be higher than referral fees. Sponsored products are clearly disclosed as such on website pages. They may appear in a number of areas of the website such as in comparison tables, on hub pages and in articles. Sponsored products may be displayed in a fixed position in a table, regardless of the product’s rating, price or other attributes. The table position of a sponsored product does not indicate any ranking, rating or endorsement by Canstar Blue. See How we are funded for further details.
Canstar Blue NZ Research finalised in April 2023, published in June 2023.
See Our Ratings Methodology
Compare electricity providers for free with Canstar Blue!
About the author of this page
This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.
Enjoy reading this article?
You can like us on Facebook and get social, or sign up to receive more news like this straight to your inbox.
By subscribing you agree to the Canstar Privacy Policy
Share this article