A campaign to help households reduce their power bills could save consumers up to $240 million a year.
The Electricity Authority's new campaign:What's My Number, was prompted by surveys that found consumers were not very inclined to change power retailers.
The watchdog's research found the average households could have saved $150 last year by switching to the cheapest energy retailer in their region, saving $240m nationwide.
The new campaign, in conjunction the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Consumer NZ, allows people to access the www.whatsmynumber.org.nz wesbite to estimate potential savings with a simple calculator.
Users can then choose a new retail deal through Consumer NZ's Powerswitch website, at www.powerswitch.co.nz.
Electricity Authority chief executive Carl Hansen said there was considerable potential for New Zealanders to save money by taking control of their electricity bills and shopping around.
Consumer chief executive Sue Chetwin said a large household in Christchurch could save $903 a year and a medium sized household in Wellington could save about $478.
"We say check it out now before the winter really hits and your heating bills go up," she said.
NZPA