Electricity consumers have the power

Three electricity retailers have rung or visited us recently to offer a ‘‘deal’’ to switch. The first one visited, and, using our latest bill, offered an electricity price (we also use gas) 13 per cent below what we were paying, reducing our overall bill by 8 per cent. This took our electricity price back to the level of four years ago.

We switched, with a $50 welcome bonus, and no price change till April 2014 (on an open contract, and we’ll observe the old supplier’s price change then, too).

We’re dual fuel, and use more than 8000Kwh of electricity a year. The Powerswitch website showed our existing supplier was the best, but we’ve saved $300 a year by switching.

I encourage families to challenge their supplier by inviting others to quote directly. Powerswitch is a good initiative, but isn’t perfect – I’d relied on it. Our old supplier rang after we switched and offered almost the same price. We’d been there five years at a total of $1500 too much, so how could we stay with them?

Consumers should put the acid on electricity companies and look for a better deal now. CLIVE THORP

Kelburn candidate might be a lesbian or gay of youthful Polynesian appearance with disabilities. Luckily for Labour candidates, these ‘‘attributes’’ can be readily fabricated, whereas political ability, apparently remains irrelevant – this perhaps to the comfort of sitting MPs who presumably devise such checklists to weed out the duds.

Surely, it will be challenging for other parties to out-loony this specification? JIM YOUNG

Belmont