Consumer NZ and Electric Kiwi
www.stuff.co.nz...
I've noticed for some time that Consumer NZ gives VERY poor advice - now I know why.
As for Electric Kiwi: I found their customer support excellent, and the 10% bonus for prepay and free "Hour of Power" (you can change each day until midnight when that should be, except during peak time of 7-9 am and 5-9 pm) is fantastic - baking, washing machine, dish washer, charging phones, vaccum, etc all happens during that hour. Their app lets you know each day how much you used, paid, and saved, so I have a long spreadsheet with all the data. Last year we had 36.8% of our electricity for free, this year we managed to increase it to 39.26% so far.
That the app shows each day how much electricity you use each hour also helped us to discover within 3 days that our Hot Water Cylinder had a problem - it kept heating every few hours (so usage and costs went up too) which meant cold water was flowing in - and indeed the regulator (?) under the house had failed. We got it replaced and everything is fine, but it could have been MUCH more expensive. Top marks on the app.
If there is ONE thing I wish they would do, then it is to automatically set the Hour of Power each day that gives you the biggest savings. Sometimes I forget to change it and it is really annoying when you only have 3% instead of the 30+% you were aiming at.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84.5% Yes
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14.1% No
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Railing planters
To gain extra growing space, make and hang these easy-to-build planters on almost any wooden fence or deck railing. Use Resene FX Blackboard Paint so you can easily identify what plants are in each. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
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