Following a competitive procurement process, the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (the Authority) has appointed innovative technology and creative studio Daylight to develop a new energy comparison and switching service. Tāmaki Makaurau-based Daylight is known for its world-class behaviour-changing digital products and services.
Authority Chief Executive Sarah Gillies says that the time is right to develop a new service that will ultimately empower consumers to take full advantage of a dynamic and competitive energy market.
“As our energy system evolves, New Zealanders will have many more choices for how they use, buy and sell electricity,” Gillies says. “While this will introduce greater complexity, the potential benefits for consumers and communities are immense.
“An engaging and adaptive comparison and switching service will enable consumers to cut through the complexity to get more control over their energy bills. It will also strengthen retail competition and encourage innovation and service delivery.”
Daylight will deliver the new service by the end of this year and work with the Authority to evolve its capabilities over time, leveraging emerging technologies, improvements in data standardisation and a future consumer-data-right. The Authority and Daylight will also work closely with retailers to ensure new products and services are seamlessly integrated to support consumer choice.
Gillie says, “Daylight are well-placed to help us achieve our long-term vision for a centralised service to help New Zealanders with their energy choices. They bring fresh thinking, a strong track record and impressive technical capability.”
Daylight CEO Lee Lowndes says, "We’re thrilled to partner with the Electricity Authority on such a meaningful project for Aotearoa. Helping Kiwis navigate an increasingly complex energy landscape is exactly the kind of challenge we love."
The Authority will continue to support and promote Powerswitch until the new comparison and switching service is launched later this year. The Authority has been funding Powerswitch for several years and values Powerswitch’s long-standing contribution to supporting consumer choice.
