At Total Utilities, we’re always looking for smarter ways to help Kiwi businesses reduce energy costs and improve operational efficiency. One of our recent pilot programmes with a logistics company delivered exactly that—and the results were both immediate and eye-opening.
We installed Panoramic Power, a real-time energy monitoring system, at one of their trial sites. Within just 24 hours, the system flagged 74kW of continuous energy waste. The source? A few misconfigured control settings in the site’s Building Management System (BMS). The solution? A simple five-minute adjustment.
💡 The impact:
$10,000+ in annual savings, unlocked almost instantly
No need for major upgrades or capital investment
Immediate ROI from a low-risk pilot programme
But the story doesn’t end there.
As the system continued to monitor energy use, it uncovered a further $60,000 in potential savings—this time related to the site’s refrigeration system. These insights are now guiding the client’s decisions around future upgrades, maintenance priorities, and operational changes.
Why this matters:
This pilot proves the power of real-time energy visibility. It’s not just about identifying waste—it’s about enabling fast, cost-effective fixes that deliver measurable results. For businesses in logistics, manufacturing, or any energy-intensive sector, this kind of insight can be a game-changer.
Energy waste often hides in plain sight. Without the right tools, it goes unnoticed—and costs businesses thousands every year. With Panoramic Power, our clients gain the clarity they need to act quickly and confidently.
Ready to uncover hidden savings in your operations?
Whether you’re managing a single site or a nationwide network, we can help you take control of your energy use and unlock real value.
👉 Book a demo today and see how Panoramic Power can transform your energy strategy.
At Total Utilities, we’re passionate about helping Kiwi businesses navigate the complexities of energy procurement—especially in a market where prices continue to climb and certainty is hard to come by.
Recently, we partnered with a nationwide truck dealership and service agent facing a familiar challenge: a looming electricity contract renewal with a significant price increase from their existing retailer. With multiple sites across Aotearoa and rising operational costs, they needed a smarter, more strategic approach to energy management.
That’s where we came in.
Through a competitive tender process, market benchmarking, and strategic negotiation, we secured a new electricity contract with an alternate supplier—15% lower than the renewal offer. But the benefits didn’t stop there.
The Results:
✅ 15% reduction in electricity costs ✅ Improved contract terms and flexibility ✅ Enhanced long-term energy certainty across multiple locations
This outcome is a testament to the power of informed decision-making and proactive energy strategy. By leveraging market insights and our deep industry expertise, we helped our client not only save money but also gain confidence in their energy future.
Why It Matters:
Energy is often one of the top operating expenses for businesses, yet many organisations renew contracts without exploring alternatives. In today’s volatile energy landscape, taking a strategic approach can unlock significant savings and resilience.
If your business is approaching a contract renewal or simply wants to understand its energy options better, we’d love to kōrero. Whether you’re a single-site operator or a nationwide enterprise, we’re here to help you make smarter energy decisions.
📣 Let’s Talk
If your business is approaching a contract renewal, managing multiple sites, or simply wants to explore smarter energy options—now is the time to act. Reach out to Total Utilities for a no-obligation kōrero about how we can help you reduce costs, improve certainty, and future-proof your energy strategy.
Stay informed. Stay prepared. As New Zealand continues its transition to a low-carbon future, Total Utilities will keep bringing you the latest insights and opportunities to stay ahead.
In today’s climate-conscious world, businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce waste, cut costs, and operate more sustainably. That’s why we’re thrilled to share how Total Utilities helped a nationwide hotel group achieve a massive 38% reduction in waste and recycling costs—saving over $380,000 across their sites. 💰🌏
💡 The Challenge
Like many large organisations, this hotel group was facing rising waste management costs and inconsistent service across multiple locations. With dozens of sites nationwide, they needed a smarter, more unified approach to waste and recycling—one that delivered both financial savings and environmental benefits.
🔧 The Total Utilities Solution
We rolled up our sleeves and got to work, applying our proven methodology to deliver real results. Here’s how we did it:
✅ Improved Contract Pricing & Terms
We renegotiated waste service contracts to better align with the client’s operational needs. By leveraging our market insights and supplier relationships, we secured more competitive rates and flexible terms that made a real difference.
✅ Smarter Collection Methods
We analysed collection schedules, bin sizes, and waste types to identify inefficiencies. By rethinking how waste was collected—across general, recycling, and organic streams—we reduced unnecessary pickups and optimised service frequency.
✅ Targeted Operational Changes
We worked closely with site managers to implement practical changes in how waste was handled. One hotel alone saw a 58% cost reduction through smarter sorting, staff training, and better bin placement. That’s the power of operational insight.
🌱 Sustainability Meets Savings
This project is a prime example of how smart business decisions can drive both cost savings and sustainability outcomes. By reducing waste volumes and improving recycling rates, the hotel group not only saved money—they also reduced their environmental footprint.
At Total Utilities, we believe that better outcomes come from better decisions. Whether it’s energy, waste, water, or carbon, we help businesses make informed choices that deliver long-term value.
📞 Ready to Rethink Your Waste Strategy?
If your business is looking to cut costs, improve sustainability, and gain better control over waste and recycling, we’d love to help.
The Current State of Affairs and the Impact of Deferred Investments
Well, not that much sadly, but the optimist in me sees green shoots of regulatory progress, some generation development activity (at last), but a continued chorus of gas concerns from the choir of Generator/Retailers (gentailers) who benefit hugely from fossil fuel generation being the margin, price setting unit for spot prices.
Of course, mother nature plays her hand in New Zealand Electricity prices, increasingly so as we live with the outcome of deferred investment in new generation and the low level of attractiveness of New Zealand for new investment due to the market power exercised by a largely state owned incumbent generation sector.
Well, there have been some announcements that might ordinarily be cause for optimism; the formation of the Energy Competition Taskforce which brought together the three historically benign regulators in the Electricity Authority, the Commerce Commission and MBIE to address the mounting (mountain?) of evidence that New Zealand Electricity market isn’t delivering the outcomes we would expect for a nation so well-endowed in natural energy resources.
To their credit the task force has already implemented changes that might help, albeit at the margin with developments like adding super peak prices to the ASX energy futures market which has seen some improved liquidity and price disclosure across super peak products, and perhaps a lower peak/off-peak differential in pricing, though this may be more a reflection of increased fossil fuel pricing in off-peak periods. IE higher overall prices.
The task force has also announced a consultation on several potentially significant changes grouped as “level playing field measures”. The “proposed nondiscrimination obligations” would require Gentailers not to treat themselves substantially differently from their non-integrated competitors, or to treat different competitors substantially differently. Given the openness with which the vertically integrated incumbents have posted losses on retail while making record overall profits over the last few years this seems blindingly obvious, as a measure. It would see gentailers having to build a portfolio of internal transfer prices for hedges which would make it far more transparent for the regulators to assess hedge access (market power) issues.
Should this measure still not result in the market delivering competitive outcomes, a second measure sits behind this as a backstop, he proposed “virtual disaggregation measures” refers to splitting the flexible generation capacity of participants who exceed a certain market share into two components: a portion that would be required to be offered, and a portion that would be used by the participant as they see fit.
The Role of Government Dividends
It remains to be seen the extent to which the task force resists the inevitable strong lobbying against these measures from the incumbent players and if implemented how long it takes before we see a return to meaningful retail competition and real customer innovation.
My bet is that we will see all sorts of ballyhoo from the incumbents about how hard they are doing great, and of course, the elephant in the room is the dividends received by the government from their state-controlled gentailers, Genesis, Meridian and Mercury. I’m yet to see an economic analysis to support any assertion that the value of those dividends outweighs the value to our economy of cheap abundant energy delivered through an undistorted or workable efficient market….
However, the Q4 2024 MBIE Energy consumption Stats show that the current market isn’t working for Kiwi businesses with a 9% year-on-year fall in electricity demand from the industrial sector.
Some of this will no doubt be the closure of Winstone Pulp International and the Oji Fibre Solutions’ Penrose plants citing energy cost as a major factor in those decisions, and part is also likely the ramp down of Tiwai at Meridian’s request.
There was much heralding of the benefits to New Zealand of the new Tiwai deal, especially by Meridian:
“This is a fantastic outcome for New Zealand and the Southland region. It’s further proof that large industrial businesses can utilise New Zealand’s renewable energy advantage and create low carbon sustainable products, high value jobs and export dollars for our country.”
But now it would seem that it’s even better for New Zealand when Tiwai doesn’t run. Curious that!
Future Outlook
Another winter of extreme prices in 2025 poses yet another threat to consumer confidence in New Zealand’s electricity market, ultimately threatening the social license that incumbent generators and even distribution businesses have enjoyed for so long.
The reality is that in 2025, for perhaps the first time, grid supply companies may be facing the legitimate threat of substitution as New Zealand’s (and global) grid energy supply becomes more expensive than the delivered cost of rooftop solar for residential consumers.
Recommendations for Businesses
The same trends apply to supply for business consumers, I would go so far as to say that any business in New Zealand facing new supply costs should feel obliged to seek a quote on rooftop solar and battery.
The economics of rooftop solar in terms of delivered cost of energy will continue to improve as regulatory reforms evolve to incentivise consumers to participate in flexibility, and reward investment in distributed energy resources. While escalating grid and distribution costs are now locked in for the next five-year period we should expect to see this continue to increase. From a global perspective, New Zealand is no different to most nations looking to electrify their economies. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance research, US$21 trillion dollars of grid investment is required to reach net zero emissions targets.
We can expect to see more and more businesses taking their destiny into their own hands as our incumbent grid suppliers seek to maximise returns from legacy assets against the improving economics of generation technologies that can generate energy at the point of consumption.
Making Business Great Again or Puff the Magic Dragon?
Generative AI is, frankly, little more than a highly trained monkey genetically spliced to a parrot.
Many New Zealand and Australian companies have been beating down the doors of high-priced consulting firms to understand just how AI might benefit them.
Another well-worn path has been to the doors of company CIO’s who in many cases seem almost as confused as the rest of us. They spout technology terms like LLM (Large Language Models), Agentic AI, Natural Language Processing, Predictive Modelling and Robotics Process Automation. Most have failed to describe practical, and measurable business benefits
After reading dozens of articles and interviewing many of my most learned colleagues in the AI space I remain underwhelmed at how New Zealand businesses are moving to leverage AI to drive profit and growth.
So what makes AI Different?
To answer that question, we need to look at the two major threads of AI – Generative AI and Agentic AI.
Generative AI is delivered in tools such as Co-Pilot, Gemini and Chat GPT. Instead of us creating our content its automation capability allows us to do instant research, generate sophisticated text and formulate bold and innovative images, all in seconds. If we don’t like what we first see we just tell the AI to do the job again. Seconds later a simpler or more detailed edit is created depending on our interaction with the system.
However, as a productivity tool, Generative AI is little more than a new generation of personal assistants. In the same way that word processing replaced millions of typists and an entire typewriter industry in the late 1980s, Generative AI will replace millions of jobs where their sole value is creating the documents necessary to do business.
In the most simple of terms, if any part of your role is creating and refining documents (sales proposals, job descriptions, tender reports, legal contracts, patient health notes, meeting agendas and minutes etc) then this part of your role will not exist within three to five years.
Scary as this may sound to some of us, including me because I like writing posts like this, Generative AI is not going to bring the world of business to an end any more than the PC and Smartphone has made our lives more tolerable and our spare time more available.
Generative AI is, frankly little more than a highly trained monkey genetically spliced to a parrot. The model is limited by its inability to learn, especially in the context of your unique business data. It cannot, for example, analyse the trends in the New Zealand electricity market and predict pricing movements based on the legal, commercial, production and consumption factors available.
Agentic AI models, however, are designed specifically for this type of reasoning.
Part Two Agentic AI. Should we welcome our new robot overlords or pull the plug now?
Since 2018, the New Zealand Electricity market has been defined by falling natural gas supplies, record quantities of coal to be burned at Huntly, inconsistent hydro storage levels and rising costs. All of these factors have led to price instability, and the timing of your next electricity contract negotiation can have a significant impact on the prices offered.
Example: Food and Beverage Industry In this example, our proactive approach to procurement achieved the green pricing before the customer’s contract end date.
In total, eight retailers bid for forward energy supply.
Had they waited until the last minute, the likely number of participant retailers would have been reduced to 3 or 4.
Advance pricing is 32% lower than last-minute pricing.
Example: Hotel Industry In this example, our proactive approach to procurement achieved the green pricing before the customer’s contract end date.
The customer was able to smooth out their energy contract costs over the term of supply.
Advance pricing is 38% lower than last-minute pricing.
Waiting until the last minute to renew your electricity contract could be risky.
Why Act Early?
Allowing your electricity contract to expire or delaying securing a new one can expose your business to unnecessary risks and higher costs. Electricity prices are highly volatile due to factors like hydro storage, so timing your contract negotiation is crucial.
Waiting too long can lead to significantly higher electricity prices. Delaying until the last minute often leaves you with fewer options and less favorable terms. By acting early, you can negotiate better terms and avoid disruptions in service or unexpected cost increases.
Strategic Planning
Start looking at prices six months before your contract ends. This gives you time to find the best deal or reassess the market closer to contract expiry.
Optimal Contract Term
The best term for your electricity contract depends on market conditions and your business goals. Longer-term contracts can offer price stability and potentially lower rates, while shorter-term agreements provide flexibility but often come with higher costs and risks.
Total Utilities procures a range of contract terms and provides recommendations that balance short-term flexibility with long-term price security, ensuring your contracts align with your business strategy and market conditions.
Shop Around
In addition to acting early, it’s essential to compare different offers. The electricity market is competitive, and prices can vary significantly between providers. By comparing offers, you can ensure your current supplier’s renewal offer is competitive.
Proactive Procurement Total Utilities offers services to help you:
Why Total Utilities? With over two decades of experience, Total Utilities conducts around 300 market reviews annually, providing strategic advice tailored to your business needs. They help optimise utility costs and ensure reliable procurement.
