1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (538+ words) Meridian, Powershop, Octopus Energy and Electric Kiwi all say their smart hot water programmes mean lower power bills for eligible customers. Here’s how they work. Smart hot water programmes allow your power company to turn off the power supply to…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (489+ words) In a win for consumers, hundreds of millions of people worldwide can continue receiving the security updates they need to keep their data safe. It’s risky to use Windows 10 computers online unless you’re in the extended security updates (ESU) programme....

1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (542+ words) A robot vacuum seems to promise effort-free cleaning for your home. These little home helpers certainly have their place, but we reckon you shouldn’t always believe the hype. We’ll sort the facts from the fiction for you, so you know…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (1763+ words) Content Manager | Pou Whakahaere Ihirangi Buying a bed is a big investment. Get it wrong and you could be losing sleep - and not just because you wasted your money. More than 2000 New Zealanders told us about the mattresses they’ve bought…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (739+ words) Research Lead | Hautū Rangahau A “quick” visit to New World turned into a headache for one Christchurch shopper when she was charged the wrong price for 26 items. We explain what went wrong and what to do if you’re overcharged. Consumer…...

1+ day, 21+ hour ago   (598+ words) Can this bargain product really give you restaurant-quality pizza in minutes? Pizza ovens can be an expensive investment, but hardware store Bunnings is currently selling an electric model for a bargain $99. And this model also has air-fry and oven modes…...

1+ day, 23+ hour ago   (885+ words) Content Manager | Pou Whakahaere Ihirangi Once the domain of energy nerds, time-of-use power plans (also known as off-peak pricing plans) are about to become a lot more mainstream. Power companies with 5% or more market share must now offer a time-of-use…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (1041+ words) Kiwibank is the only major bank to charge a fee on all transactions processed offshore – even purchases made locally in New Zealand dollars. It means an extra 1.85% on purchases from some overseas services, including the Microsoft Store, Apple App Store,…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (688+ words) Research Lead | Hautū Rangahau Missed bills, disconnections and going without heating – here’s what our research tells us about power affordability in New Zealand. Since the Bradford reforms in 1999, which gave us the electricity market as we know it, household electricity…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago   (564+ words) We waded through the terms and conditions for New Zealand’s online marketplace so you don’t have to. Here’s what we found. Trade Me’s payment and fee structure, which had a major overhaul in March. The 7.9% success fee has been scrapped…...