When Flick hit the scene back in 2014, we were sick and tired of the same old. Like so many Kiwis, we were fed up with paying unfair power prices; fed up with having no choice and no voice; and fed up with being treated like a mere commodity by those with the power. It was time for change.
Luckily, our #CleverFlickers know a good thing when they see it, and a number of those very first customers - the ones who were also fed up, and backed us when we first opened our doors - are still epic customers of ours today.
Like our mate, John. He’s a good sort. John runs a small business as a house painter and water blasterer, and lives by himself in Wellington. He left Contact to join Flick in 2014 after seeing one of our advertisements on Facebook.
“I’ve been with Flick since the day it began. I’d been with Contact for some time, and my power bills were horrendous: $180 a month in the winter, and $80 a month in the summer. I couldn’t afford that.”
At that time, John was receiving the benefit, and the cost of his power bills were a burden. To keep his power bills low, John says he would turn off the heater and wrap himself up in blankets.
“I’d try and save money but then I’d get sick and have to go to doctors, which I couldn’t really afford, either.”
John joined Flick as a Freestyle customer (now called Wholesale), but when the dry winter hit in 2016 and the wholesale market skyrocketed, John made the switch to Fixie - and to this day he’s loving the low bills and the certainty that comes with fixed pricing.
“I like that I know what I’m spending; it’s usually about $18 a week in the middle of winter, at the most maybe $25 a week. And then around $8 to $10 a week in the summertime. It’s nice and easy to manage.”
Most of John’s power is used by his oven and his convection heater, which he keeps cranking during those cold Wellington southerlies. Thanks to Flick’s cheaper power prices and fixed rates, John doesn’t need to entertain the idea of switching off his heater, and he can, in his own words, “stay as warm as toast”.
In fact, since joining Flick on Fixie, John’s not only been able to keep his heater running, he’s saved over $660, and some recent in-house research shows that 70% of Kiwi electricity consumers would be better off with Flick, too. Of the bills we compared, on average, customers could save up to $400 a year (or $38 every month) just by making the switch. John’s done the research and hasn’t been tempted to go elsewhere.
“I haven’t had anybody that can give me a better deal. I sometimes do those surveys online or have people ring me up. But I always rark up for Flick because, for me, it’s hands down the cheapest in town. They can’t compete.”
Like us, John’s a fan of staying up with the play when it comes to the electricity industry, and fighting the good fight. In our view, it’s important work, especially in an industry that, for too long, has been dominated by a handful of big power companies, to the detriment of everyday Kiwis.
John agrees, saying, “Flick holds companies to account. You’re bringing up the issues and calling them out. Meridian spilling water cost about $80m, which is daylight robbery. But you’ve got Flick pointing the finger and saying you’re not allowed to do that, which is what we need”.
So, low power bills and industry rebellion aside, why does John stick with Flick? The final cherry on top is, of course, our award-winning customer experience team. This epic crew is the backbone of Flick, and earlier in the year their dedication to our customers helped us take out the top spot in the Consumer NZ People’s Choice Award (with a score of 76%), as well as the Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers Award 2020 (Electricity Providers).
In John’s words, “It’s the best customer service, and it goes a long way. When you’re treated like family or friends, and not just a customer, it changes the whole relationship. They [Flick’s customer experience team] treat me respectfully, and they give me all the information I need.” What’s not to love?