Flick Electric is New Zealand’s specialist spot price electricity retailer. Founded in 2014, Flick passes wholesale electricity prices through to customers in real time — every 30 minutes the price you pay changes based on what electricity costs on the national market. This transparent model can deliver significant savings for flexible households, but it comes with the risk of high bills during demand spikes.
Type: Independent retailer — spot pricing
Plans: Spot price (wholesale pass-through) + flat retail charge
Smart meter: Required
Best for: Flexible households who can shift usage to off-peak periods
Avoid if: You need predictable bills or can't shift your usage
How Flick Electric’s Spot Pricing Works
The NZ Electricity Authority operates a real-time spot market where electricity prices are set every 30 minutes based on supply and demand. On a typical NZ grid with lots of renewable generation, overnight and weekend prices are very low. During peak demand periods (cold winter evenings, low hydro storage periods), prices can spike dramatically.
Standard retailers buy electricity at wholesale prices and average out the cost — giving you a stable unit rate but hiding the real-time price variation. Their margin is built into the rate.
Flick’s model:
- You pay the actual wholesale spot price every 30 minutes
- Flick adds a flat retailer levy (approximately 5–8c/kWh) to cover their costs
- You see the real-time price in Flick’s app
Typical spot prices:
- Overnight (1–6am): 3–15c/kWh wholesale (very cheap)
- Off-peak daytime: 8–20c/kWh wholesale
- Peak evening (5–9pm weekdays): 15–40c/kWh wholesale
- During scarcity/spikes: can reach $100+/kWh (rare but impactful)
Flick Plans (2026)
Flick Off-Peak
The standard spot plan — you pay real-time wholesale prices 24/7 plus Flick’s per-kWh levy. Well-suited to households that can actively shift usage away from peak periods.
Flat Plan
A fixed-price safety option for customers who want price certainty from Flick. Typically priced slightly above the cheapest flat-rate competitors — mainly exists for customers who want Flick’s transparency but need predictability.
Both plans require a smart meter.
Flick’s Strengths
1. Total price transparency Flick publishes and displays real-time prices. You know exactly what you’re paying and why. No hidden margin — the retailer levy is explicit and fixed.
2. Very cheap overnight pricing For households that run heavy appliances overnight (dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, EV charging), Flick’s overnight prices can be 60–80% cheaper than a typical fixed rate. This translates to substantial savings.
3. Cheap during high renewable periods When NZ has lots of wind, hydro is full, and demand is low, spot prices drop significantly. These are great times to run high-consumption appliances.
4. Benefits grow with smart home automation Households with smart plugs, automated appliances, or EV chargers that can respond to price signals extract the most value from Flick’s model.
5. Good app and price alerts Flick’s app shows the current and forecast price and allows you to set alerts for low-price windows.
Flick’s Weaknesses
1. Unpredictable bills A wet, windy summer with lots of renewable generation will be cheap. A dry winter (low hydro lakes) with a cold snap will be expensive. This is the fundamental trade-off.
2. Price spikes during scarcity NZ has had several severe price spike events. These are relatively short (hours to days) but can significantly inflate a monthly bill. Customers who don’t respond to high-price alerts will pay the full spike price.
3. Smart meter required You can’t sign up for Flick without a smart meter. Most NZ homes now have one, but if you don’t, you’d need to arrange installation first.
4. Requires active engagement The value of Flick increases proportionally with how actively you shift usage. A household that ignores prices and uses electricity on normal patterns may not save much — and could pay more than a competitive flat-rate plan during peak periods.
Is Flick Electric Right for You?
Good fit if:
- You work from home or have flexible daily routines
- You actively shift appliance use to off-peak periods
- You have an EV with scheduled overnight charging
- You’re interested in how electricity markets work
- You can handle bill variability month to month
Poor fit if:
- You need a predictable monthly power bill for budgeting
- Your household uses significant power in the 5–9pm peak window unavoidably (e.g., cooking dinner, heating the home)
- You’ve had high bills and are trying to reduce stress around utilities
Flick vs Electric Kiwi
These are the two most innovative independent retailers in NZ, but they take opposite approaches:
| Feature | Flick Electric | Electric Kiwi |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Real-time spot price | Fixed rate + free Hour of Power |
| Bill predictability | Low (variable) | High (fixed rate) |
| Savings mechanism | Shift usage to cheap periods | Use free hour strategically |
| Smart meter required | Yes | Recommended |
| Best for | Very flexible households | Most households wanting value |
Verdict
Flick Electric is a genuinely innovative product and can deliver real savings for the right household. If you’re motivated, have a smart meter, and can shift your heaviest usage to overnight or off-peak periods, Flick will likely be one of the cheapest options available. For households that need predictability or can’t control when they use power, a fixed-rate plan from Electric Kiwi, Frank Energy, or another competitive retailer is a better choice.
Rating: 4/5 — Excellent for flexible households. Not for everyone.