Off-Peak Plan

An electricity plan designed to give you better control of your energy bill.

Because we’re always looking for ways to bring you great value, we’re giving you the opportunity of paying for the electricity you use, based on the time of day when you use it.

You could ‘clock up’ some great energy bill savings by shifting the time you use your power-hungry appliances like your washing machine, dryer, dishwasher or even your EV charging to cheaper Off-Peak periods. The more power you shift, the more you’ll save.

How the Off-Peak Plan works

  • Your electricity pricing on this Plan is split into different rates – either “Off Peak” and “Peak’, or ”Off Peak”, ”Shoulder” and “Peak” – depending on the region where you live. Check the Table below to see if the Plan is available in your region, as well as the times of the Plan.
  • You’re billed for your actual electricity usage during your applicable “Peak”, “Off-Peak” and ”Shoulder” time periods.
  • Prices are higher during ‘Peak’ periods and lower during the ‘Off-Peak’ and ‘Shoulder’ periods. So, if you use more electricity during Off-Peak and Shoulder times, you could make some great savings on this Plan.
  • There is no fixed term, no break fees, no worries  

Important things to know

  1. To go on this Plan, you must have an eligible and actively communicating smart electricity meter and live in a region where this Plan is available.
  2. This Plan is not available everywhere, nor for all electricity connections or meter types.  We will advise you if your meter is eligible or not before you sign up.
  3. In some regions, theOff-Peak Pricing will not apply to Controlled or Night meter electricity consumption. If you have Controlled and/or Night meter and you live in one of these regions, your charges for controlled/night consumption will be billed separately. We will advise you of your pricing when you sign up.
  4. Some electricity networks apply Off-Peak pricing for Public Holidays that fall on weekdays. However, for simplicity where a Public Holidays falls on a weekday, we will apply Off-Peak, Peak and Shoulder pricing as a normal weekday.

See offer terms

An electricity plan designed to give you better control of your energy bill.
Shift your power use to Off-Peak times and save!

Frequent questions

What are the rates on this plan?

To find the electricity pricing for your property simply fill out our form and we’ll get in touch with your pricing and to explain how the Plan works.

Note: You’ll need to have an eligible and communicating smart meter and be in an area where this Plan is available.

If I go on this Plan will I still be eligible for Nova’s natural gas and broadband Multisaver plans?

Yes! 

You can sign-up your electricity supply on this Off-Peak Plan, and sign-up your natural gas and/or broadband supply on our Multisaver Combo Plans.  

Our Multisaver Combos allow you to unlock discounted broadband and natural gas pricing when you also have electricity at the same property and on the same account.

How will I tell if I am saving money on this plan?

Any savings associated with the Off-Peak Plan will vary depending on your meter set-up, how and when you use electricity overall, and how much electricity you normally use or shift to your Off-Peak and Shoulder time periods.

Everyone’s usage is different. However, the more usage you shift to the Off-Peak and/or Shoulder periods, the more you can save.  

You can keep track of your usage on Nova Hub. By looking at your online graph each week or so, you’ll start to get a good handle on how much electricity those big-ticket items use – like your washing machine, heaters/heat pump and dryer.

I have a smart meter. How can I tell whether its eligible for this plan?

To go on the Off-Peak Plan, you need to have a communicating smart meter that records and send us your electricity usage at half-hourly intervals. This way we can identify the right amounts of electricity you use at different times each day.

Unfortunately, some meter types aren’t as reliable as other in terms of providing us usage data. So, we’ve had to exclude some smart meters from being eligible for the plan. We’ll let you know if your meter is eligible to go on the plan before you sign up.

Also, if we find your meter isn’t sending your usage data to us accurately at any point, we may need to move you off the Plan. But don’t worry, we’ll discuss all of this with you at the time and advise you of your options.

I am an existing Nova residential electricity customer, can I go on this Plan?

Yes, this Plan is available to most residential customers on open term electricity plans who have a communicating smart meter, provided the plan is available in their area.

When you sign up, we’ll double check this and confirm whether you're eligible. If you are currently on a fixed term electricity plan with us, we can advise you of your options.

Fill out our form and we’ll get in touch.

I’m a current Nova customer. What happens to my bill when I go on this Plan?

When you change to the Off-Peak Plan, we will change your pricing from the start of your next billing period.

If I move homes, can I keep the same pricing?

No, sorry. This Plan cannot be transferred to a different property and will end if you move.

But, if you move to another house in an area where the Off-Peak Plan is available and that has an eligible smart meter, we’d be happy to allow you to go on this Plan at your new property. Your pricing at your new property may differ depending on some factors, like your new property’s metering set-up for example.

I have a Night meter. Will this meter’s usage be included in my Off-Peak pricing?

In most regions, your applicable Peak, Shoulder and Off-Peak rates will apply to your night and controlled meter usage as well. 

In some regions however, the Peak, Shoulder (if applicable) and Off-Peak rates do not apply to Controlled or Night consumption.

These regions include: Far North, Northland, Counties, Thames, Tauranga, Waikato, South Waikato, East Coast, Rotorua, Taupo, Hawkes Bay, Central Hawkes Bay and Wellington. 

Charges for controlled/night consumption in these regions are billed separately. We will let you know of the pricing for these meters.

A controlled meter is a meter can be “controlled” by your local network company for periods of time throughout the day. Usually controlled meters are wired to selected appliances like hot-water cylinders.

A night meter is a separate meter that only runs at night times, typically from 11pm to 7am (and from 9pm – 7am in Christchurch). It is commonly used for hot water cylinders, pumps, under floor heating and storage heaters.