A Government campaign suggesting people shorten their showers to save on energy costs has been criticised amid a cost of living crisis, with one industry expert saying the messaging isn't appropriate for many people with winter on the way.
Phil Squire, fair energy manager at not-for-profit power supplier Toast Electric, joined Breakfast this morning to discuss the 'Find Money in Weird Places' initiative.
"The messaging is right for those who have the wherewithal to be able to take advantage of that," he said.
However, many lower-income people Squire works with "really need to be using more power rather than less".
Phil Squire, fair energy manager at a not-for-profit power supplier, said "conserving is not really the right message".
"They really need to be using twice or three times as much power," he said, pointing to heating as an example of necessary spending.
"So conserving is not really the right message. Certainly there's an advantage to using power in the right places," he added.
"But generally I think there's such a real issue — especially coming into winter — with power poverty that some of this messaging around shorter showers and turning the heat pump down is probably not really targeted at those folks."
Asked if the campaign was putting the problem on the consumer, Squire said: "I think so. And there's some big structural issues in our energy supply, in our housing, our housing is generally rubbish in New Zealand.
"The healthy housing aspect is really critical around providing a warm, dry, basic home."
Yesterday, the National Party branded the campaign "arrogant and pathetic".
It comes as power companies made more than $1.3 billion last year.
How to Find Money in Weird Places - according to the Govt
The campaign 'Find Money in Weird Places’ is a partnership between the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority's (EECA) Warmer Kiwi Homes and Consumer NZ, with support from the Electricity Authority.
It follows the expansion of EECA’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, as part of Budget 2023.
The Warmer Kiwi Homes programme has been extended to June 2027 and will cover hot water heating upgrades and energy efficient LEDs, with more than $402 million allocated over four years.
Find Money in Weird Places will feature on television, at bus stops and malls, on social media and in print across Winter 2023.
A brochure will also be produced and delivered to about half a million households that receive the Winter Energy Payment.
A 16-page booklet with additional energy saving information will also be distributed in seven languages, including English, Te Reo, Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island Māori, Fijian, and Niuean.
A website, Save500.org.nz, has also been set up. A press release announcing the campaign said it would "share energy saving tips".
The five key tips that the ‘Find Money in Weird Places’ campaign promotes are:
- Check you're on the best power plan for you and your whānau
- Switch off appliances at the wall when you’re not using them
- Set your heat pump to a maximum of 21 degrees
- Change your washing machine settings to cold wash
- Shorten showers to five minutes
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