About Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers Natural Gas Award
Canstar's Most Satisfied Customers Natural Gas Award reveals the bundled utilities provider that delivers the best consumer satisfaction to its customers.
We ask Kiwi power customers to rate their satisfaction with their providers by Overall Satisfaction, as well as important criteria such as Customer Service, Tools & Advice and Value for Money.
Numbers crunched by Canstar’s researchers:
- 619 Customers Surveyed
- 8 Providers Assessed
- 3 Providers Shortlisted
- 1 Award Winner
The best natural gas provider in NZ
The brands rated are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
1. Genesis
This year marks Genesis' third award win in five years. And the accolade is based on a great set of ratings from its customers, who award it top five-star ratings for Customer Service, Environmental Focus and Tools & Advice. And for Value for Money and Bill Clarity, Genesis earns great 4-Star ratings.
Overall, Genesis earns more 5-Star consumer ratings across our award categories than the other three natural gas suppliers in this year's award combined.
Genesis supplies natural gas, bottled gas, electricity plus broadband, and offers a $10 monthly credit for customers who combine natural gas and electricity on its PowerHome plan.
Genesis is a publicly listed company that generates its own electricity and is 51% owned by the NZ government.
2. Contact
Energy generator and retailer Contact Energy was founded in 1996 and provides a range of services for residential and business customers across New Zealand, including gas, electricity, broadband and mobile.
3. Mercury
Mercury is one of the nation's highest-profile power companies, and provides a range of residential and business services across New Zealand. It offers a daily dual-fuel discount for customers who bundle gas and electricity.
The Mercury brand was launched in 2016, with the merger of Mighty River Power and Mercury Energy. Mercury is listed on the NZ and Australian stock exchanges. As with Genesis, the NZ government is a 51% stakeholder.
4. Nova Energy
Nova Energy is a New Zealand owned and operated energy retailer, servicing homes and businesses across the country.
It offers the full suite of utility services, including gas, electricity, broadband and mobile phone, including multi-saver deals of up to 10% across electricity and gas, if you bundle eligible services.
Nova Energy is part of the Todd Corporation, which also operates its own geothermal and natural gas generators.
Other natural gas providers not rated by Canstar
Not all natural gas providers in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are more natural gas providers to check out before choosing a supplier:
Pulse Energy
Pulse Energy is a smaller community-owned energy company. It supplies electricity, gas, solar and broadband services to households and businesses throughout NZ, and offers an All Energy Discount when you bundle power and gas.
Firstgas
Firstgas is part of the Clarus group, one of New Zealand’s largest energy companies. It operates over 2500km of high-pressure gas transmission pipelines and more than 4800km of smaller gas distribution networks across the North Island.
Choosing the best natural gas provider
It's understandable that cost is an important factor for many households when it comes to their gas supply, and a quarter (25%) of the respondents in our award survey cite Value for Money as their biggest concern when rating their choice of gas supplier.
However, it's surprising to discover that the majority (30%) of natural gas customers say Customer Service is their No.1 concern, which underlines the importance of choosing a utility provider that delivers a strong customer service experience.
Here's the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their gas suppliers:
- Customer Service: 30%
- Value for Money: 25%
- Bill & Cost Clarity: 17%
- Tools & Advice: 14%
- Focus on Sustainability: 14%
