When living in an urban area in New Zealand, most homes have mains gas for cooking and central heating. The gas is supplied by companies which also supply electricity. In rural areas gas is usually limited to bottled gas and is mainly used for cooking rather than heating. Bottled gas can be bought from many outlets such as petrol stations and rural convenience stores. Gas supply companies can also deliver bottled gas if your home is easily accessible and the storage area is safe for them to swap old bottles for new ones. Customers who have a property which is not easily accessible will need to make their own arrangements for deliveries if a truck is not able to access the property.

To find out which gas options are best for your home it is a good idea to check with a gas supply company to see which type of gas they can deliver to your property. Most gas companies have a search option on their website which allows users to check if piped gas can be brought to the property or if bottled gas is the only option.

Customers who have piped gas will pay a line charge then pay for the cost of the gas. If you use bottled gas you will normally pay a rental for the cylinder if you do not buy your own plus the cost of refilling the cylinder. Households of 2 people can expect to use between 6 and 18 cylinders each year depending upon how many appliances are being used, households of 3-5 people can expect to use between 6 and 21 cylinders and households of up to 8 people can expect to use between 6 and 24 cylinders each year. If you are using a gas company to supply the cylinders they will install a ‘homepack’ which is the point at which the cylinders are connected to the pipes in your home. This needs to be done by a qualified gas fitter, so if you are not purchasing cylinders from one of the main suppliers you will need to make your own arrangements to have the homepack installed.

When you have checked if the company supplies piped gas to your area you can simply call the supply company in order to have the service connected. There are gas pipes in most streets but if the previous tenant of your home was not connected then you may have to have pipes installed and this can incur an extra cost. Some companies will ask you to provide documentation such as proof of ID and address. A copy of a tenancy agreement may be needed if you are in rented accommodation.

Meters are read frequently but in some areas this may only be every six months. Bills issued at other times will be estimated. You can give the company a meter reading if you prefer to have an accurate. Bills are issued at frequent intervals but this will depend upon the company that you are with. Some will issue a bill monthly, others every two or three months. Most will give customers the option of paperless billing and there are a number of ways to pay the bill. Many customers choose the option of paying by direct debit, although bills can be paid over the counter at most banks and post offices. Customers can call the company to pay with a debit or credit card or pay online.

In an emergency you should call the emergency number listed on your bill and most companies aim to have an engineer with you fairly quickly. Gas appliances and equipment should only be installed by an experienced and qualified engineer. Gas fitters are a registered profession in New Zealand and details of registered professionals can be found via the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayer’s Board which sets professional standards for workers in the industry.

Useful Resources

New Zealand Plumbers, Gasfitter and Drainlayers Board
PO Box 10655
Wellington 6143
Tel: 0800 743 262
Tel: +64 4 494 2970
http://www.pgdb.co.nz/

Powerswitch
www.powerswitch.org.nz

Contact Energy
PO Box 10742
The Terrace
Wellington 6143
Tel: 0800 80 9000
Email: help@contactenergy.co.nz
www.contactenergy.co.nz

Mercury Energy
Private Bag 92008
Victoria Street
West Auckland 1142
Tel: 0800 10 18 10
Email: online enquiry form on website
www.mercury.co.nz