Lock in low power bills before the concrete dries.
Most of the energy decisions that will set your power bill for the next 30 years are locked in before you've even chosen a tap. Power Buddy gets you across them while you can still change them — for free.
The four windows of opportunity
Building a house is a sequence of closing doors. If you miss the window, the fix is either impossible or incredibly expensive. Here is exactly what to ask for, and when.
Design Stage
The lines on the paper are still moving. Now is the time to nail the fundamentals that will naturally heat your home.
- Site orientation for natural light
- North-facing roof pitch (essential for solar)
- Insulation R-values well above NZ H1 minimums
- Window sizing and glazing type
Pre-Slab
The diggers are on site. After the concrete pour, this stuff is buried for 80 years. You cannot change your mind later.
- Underfloor heating loops in the slab
- Slab edge insulation (stops heat leaking out the sides)
- Conduit runs under the driveway for future EV / Solar
Frame & Wire
The walls are up but the gib isn't on yet. This is your last chance to run cheap plastic pipes that save thousands in retrofitting.
- Solar-ready conduit from roof to switchboard
- EV charger pre-wire to the garage
- Single-phase vs 3-phase power decision
- Heat pump and hot water cylinder locations
Fit-out & Finish
The house is looking like a house. Now you're picking the actual appliances that will spin the meter.
- Heat pump sizing (don't let them over-spec it)
- Hot water type: heat pump cylinder vs gas vs resistance
- Induction vs gas cooktop
- Retailer sign-up before you move in — compare on Powerswitch
5 things builders quietly default to that cost you for decades.
Builders build. They often default to what is cheapest to install today, passing the running costs onto you for the life of the house. Don't accept the default without asking why.
Start a free home auditGas hot water and cooking
NZ is phasing out gas. Resale value drops, and the daily fixed charges keep climbing. Builders like gas califonts because they are cheap to install and free up cupboard space.
Standard resistance hot water cylinders
They are basically giant jugs boiling water 24/7. Upgrading to a heat pump hot water cylinder costs more up front but cuts the hot water portion of your bill by around 70%.
No solar-ready conduit
A $50 plastic pipe run from the roof to the switchboard before the gib goes on. If you forget it, retrofitting that cable later often adds $3,000+ to a solar install.
No EV pre-wire to the garage
Running a heavy cable through finished walls is a nightmare. Pre-wiring while the framing is exposed is cheap; doing it later often adds $1,500+.
Single-phase power over 3-phase
If you ever want fast EV charging, solar and a large heat pump, you'll need 3-phase. Upgrading at the framing stage is significantly cheaper than ripping up the driveway later.
How Power Buddy helps you build right
We don't build houses, but we make sure yours is built to run cheaply. Click any of the links below to use our free tools, download the builder's one-pager or talk to a Power Buddy expert.
Get it right while the framing is bare.
Create your free new-build energy plan in 5 minutes.