Electricity and gas
A lot of New Zealand’s electricity comes from hydroelectric, geothermal and more recently wind generation, so it is relatively clean and abundant.
Electrical plugs
New Zealand power outlets take electrical plugs with three flat pins, one of which is an earth pin. Some power plugs do not have the earth pin but they still fit into the power outlets. Electricity in New Zealand is supplied at a minimal voltage of 230-240 volts and 50 hertz.
Gas
Many homes also use gas for cooking, water and space heating. In some areas of the North Island Natural Gas is piped to homes, elsewhere it is available in bottles as LPG (liquid petroleum gas).
Because gas is naturally odourless, suppliers add a smell to help identify and locate any leaks. Make sure you are familiar with New Zealand’s natural gas odour as it is probably different from the smell that you are used to.
Retailers
There are a number of electricity and gas retailers in New Zealand, and they offer a variety of plans.