Frequently asked questions
Over its 10 years of operation, SolarZero introduced a variety of
systems and energy service agreements. SZ Servicing has created
this page to provide answers to the most common questions. For
specific information, please check your Energy Service Agreement or contact the customer care team on 0800 609 647.
Consumer Care Policy
.Our Consumer Care Policy can be found by clicking here.
Operational Questions
Call 0800 609 647 or email customercare@solarzero.co.nz. There is a team ready to support existing subscription customers with any questions or issues they may have.
If there’s an urgent issue with the solar system, you can call our after-hours number on 0800 609 647 and one of our team will be happy to help.
This depends on the solar system installed at your place. Please check with our customer care team customercare@solarzero.co.nz
Yes, the SolarZero App remains operational.
Governance, Payment and Contract Questions
The Public Trust has assumed ownership of the two companies that hold contracts with SolarZero customers, to ensure the obligations are protected while the insolvency process is worked through.
They manage your payments, which are protected from SolarZero’s insolvency. The company is being managed by SZ Servicing.
The commitments detailed in your agreement with SolarZero will not change, although the Servicer responsible for delivering the energy service throughout your agreement is likely to do so.
Your energy service agreement continues. Your current contractual arrangement has not been impacted by the liquidation of the SolarZero corporate entities.
The benefits detailed in your energy service agreement remain.
Yes, your energy service agreement continues uninterrupted.
There is no change to your method of payment. All bank details and direct debits remain the same. The only exception to this is if you were previously billed your SolarZero monthly fee through Pulse. Since April this must be paid into a new bank account.
The credit remains secure on your account to be used as a credit against future solar subscription fees. All customer payments are held by the Public Trust and are not impacted by the SolarZero Limited (in Liquidation).
Subscription and Hardware Questions
Over the years there have been a number of different subscription services, please refer to your energy service agreement or give our customer care team a call on 0800 609 647.
You are a customer with a 20 or 25-year Energy Service Agreement. Our job is to ensure that the equipment driving the subscription performs throughout that time.
We provide a web dashboard &/or a SolarZero App so you can personally monitor solar generation, battery capacity*, solar export, and grid usage. This will enable you to make smart energy decisions to reduce your energy costs.
Our solar engineers also monitor the system’s performance and receive an alert if there is an issue. Often, this can be rectified remotely. If not, they will arrange for an electrician to visit at no additional cost to you.
*If your energy service includes a battery
Subscription customers do not buy the solar panels, battery, inverter, framing, wiring, energy management and control systems, two-way meter, or any other kit associated with the solar and battery system (Energy Hardware). They also don’t pay for any solar system repairs, faults, and breakages, including those caused by natural disasters, or to replace products that no longer deliver the benefits set out in the agreement.
This is for the length of the subscription.
Solar panels are designed to be largely self cleaning. We install solar panels on a slight angle so when it is raining they clean themselves. Our team are constantly monitoring your system so if performance has dropped they will contact you and recommend you clean the panels. SZ Servicing Limited recommends contracting Edwards & Hardy to clean the panels. They have a team located across New Zealand and can provide a free quote. Call 0800 666 677.
We are responsible for repairs and replacement of the solar and battery systems whether it is a warranty claim, end-of-life, fire, flood or anything else (except deliberate malice).
With your Solar Subscription, you’ll enjoy daily monitoring from our experienced energy management team. They oversee all our solar and battery systems, so if something happens or performance dips, they will fix the problem remotely, call you to check for issues of shading or dirty panels or if it is a system fault arrange for our local expert team to fix it at no additional cost.
Battery lifespan varies based on how you use energy in the home, we will continue to utilise the installed equipment until it impacts our performance guarantees. At which point we will replace the battery.
By logging into MySolarZero you will be able to review what is stored in the battery. Simply click on the monitoring tab, and you will be able to see how much energy is stored in the battery. Alternatively download the SolarZero App from the App store.
Please ensure the battery remains well-ventilated and free from dust build up. Other than that, our team will take care of the battery, making sure it is always optimised for your home.
Yes. The battery we install complies with strict regulations and has several safety mechanisms to prevent accidental damage. It also operates at extra safe low voltage. Please ensure you keep it free of dust and well ventilated, you should avoid stacking items on or directly surrounding it (that could cause the system to overheat).
Moving Home Questions
SZ Servicing Limited has a dedicated team who support customers who are moving house. They can be reached by calling 0800 609 647 or by emailing transfers@solarzero.co.nz
Our team will provide all the necessary support to transfer the agreement to the new owner.
Let us know as soon as you are considering moving home you can do this by contacting our transfer team transfers@solarzero.co.nz
You are essentially taking over a solar subscription at a rate that was locked in when the existing homeowner signed up, supported by industry leading guarantees, to help you save on your annual power bills.
Our team will tell you how many years are left on the SolarZero energy services contract – it will be the years left on the contract from when the homeowner signed up.
Annual Sunshine Report & Savings Questions
We calculate your Annual Sunshine Report (your savings) by comparing the total amount you have paid in a 12 month period (for both SolarZero and grid energy), to the amount that you would have paid without SolarZero.
To calculate the total amount you have paid with SolarZero, we combine the energy charges and network charges (charged by Ecotricity or Pulse), plus any SolarZero fees. It deducts any price protection payments and exported solar production payments.
To calculate the total amount you would have paid without SolarZero, we identify what your rates would have been for the relevant time period, and then calculate the cost based on the total volume of electricity you would have used.
- To calculate your rates for the relevant time period without SolarZero, we take the rates that you were on before joining SolarZero and adjust these for inflation (as per the MBIE quarterly domestic electricity price index). This rate is then checked against the lowest cost retail plan available in your region (as published by Consumer Powerswitch). If that plan has higher rates than the assumed inflated rates, then the lowest cost retail plan rates are used.
No problem, please contact our customer care team who can share with you more detailed information about the calculation methodology.
If a customer is identified as being a ‘non saver’, the customer will receive a credit to the amount $1 more than difference between the Actual Cost and the Cost without SolarZero, plus GST.
Example calculation of a non-saver credit:
- If, over a 12 month period, a customer’s Actual Cost is $2,000 and their Cost without SolarZero is calculated to be $1,850, the credit owed is ($2,000 – $1,850) + $1 = $151 ex GST. The credit is then issued for this amount including GST, so $151 x 1.15 = $173.65 including GST.
The credit is automatically applied to your SolarZero account within 15 working days of your Annual Sunshine Report being published. You do not need to do anything; the credit will be automatically applied to your next invoice(s) until the credit has been fully used.
There are multiple potential reasons for this:
- Grid electricity prices have increased significantly over the past two years, so the savings from the SolarZero energy service will have increased.
- Potentially your usage profile has changed to use more of the solar generated electricity and / or use less grid energy during peak pricing periods.
- Your total electricity usage may have increased which will result in more savings due to the lower SolarZero electricity rates.
There have been significant cost increases in retail electricity in the past few years, particularly since 2022. Lines charges increased on 1 April 2025 by an average of 20% across New Zealand, and retailers have also passed on around a 10% increase in energy prices.
This means that without SolarZero, many peoples’ electricity bill was increasing by up to $350 per year, even if their usage stayed the same. That means that even if your bills are higher in recent months, you’re likely still better off with a SolarZero system than you would be without one.
The benefits of a SolarZero system are that you use less grid electricity, the battery reduces your exposure to peak grid energy prices, and you receive exclusive SolarZero customer grid energy rates with Ecotricity. These factors all contribute to mitigating the impact of electricity industry price increases.
There are many ways you can maximise your savings with SolarZero:
- For appliances such as dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers, run these during lower cost, off peak times (i.e. avoid 7am to 11am and 5pm to 9pm weekdays). Aim to run these very early in the morning, during the day on sunny days, or weekends.
- Use the SolarZero hot water heating control option through the SolarZero app. This will shift heating of hot water to lower cost time periods.
- Regularly use your SolarZero app to check when and how much electricity you are using. In particular, look at how much electricity is being used during the night – where high usage may indicate appliances being left on all the time, which can really add up.
Your electricity bill comprises two main charges; network charges and energy charges.
The network charges (cost to get the electricity to your home) account for approximately one third of your power bill and have increased by $10-$25 per month in 2025 to be about 15 cents per kWh.
The energy price (price to make electricity) has gone up too. In 2025, it costs about 20 cents to make each unit of electricity (1 kWh). In 2020 this was approximately 12c.
For reference, the average total electricity price in New Zealand, including network charges, energy charges, and other fees, is 39c in 2025 vs 31c in 2021.
Grid Electricity Plan Questions
SolarZero’s Time of Use (ToU) pricing is a simple pricing model that charges you different rates for any energy that is imported or exported depending on the time of day (whether it is a peak, shoulder or off-peak pricing period).
Peak times for power are between 7-9am and 5-9pm Monday to Friday.
Off-peak periods are between midnight to 7am every day of the week.
Shoulder times are between 9am-5pm and 9pm-midnight Monday to Friday, and 7am-midnight on the weekends.
You don’t need to worry about all of these different periods too much, as our team of energy experts are optimising your battery behind-the-scenes to ensure you’re making the most out of these rates at the best times.
The rates are below. These will be reflected on your monthly power bill from Ecotricity:
- Off Peak Rate: 10c / kWh
- Shoulder Rate: 14c / kWh
- Peak Rate: 26c / kWh
The new energy rate is based on:
- energy wholesale pricing
- the solar, battery and grid usage profiles of SolarZero’s customers (import, export, lines charges and solar generation or consumption)
- solar subscription costs
Additionally, we collaborate closely with Ecotricity to assess the current market landscape and make informed decisions regarding pricing. Our goal throughout this process is to deliver value to SolarZero’s customers in a financially sustainable manner.
The expected average import rate is 13.1c/kWh and export rate is 14.8c/kWh across the year, so compares well with other retailer rates. This compares to the average import rate of 17.7c/kWh and an average export rate of 11.0c/kWh for other NZ retailers.
SolarZero’s rates remain competitive. We collaborate closely with Ecotricity to assess the current market landscape and make informed decisions regarding pricing.
Over the last few years grid energy prices in New Zealand have risen significantly. As a result, SZ Servicing Limited has had to reassess the subsidised rates offered to SolarZero’s customers. To continue providing competitive rates in partnership with Ecotricity, we need to adjust SolarZero’s pricing to align with rising energy market prices. We remain committed to delivering value and competitive rates to SolarZero’s customers.
Moving from a flat rate to multiple tariffs allows us to better align energy prices with the actual cost of supplying electricity at different times of the day, and provides customers with increased options to control their power charges.
Most customers will continue to save, and for any that don’t, SolarZero’s savings guarantee under your Energy Services Agreement is still in place.
The SolarZero savings guarantee says that as long as you meet your contract obligations and fair usage guidelines, you will save on your total energy costs compared to what you would have paid without SolarZero.
Please refer to your email for information on the date the new energy rates will take effect for you.
You can access monitoring of your system by logging in to the MySolarZero dashboard or by accessing the SolarZero App. Monitoring will show you how your home is being powered – from the solar system, from the grid or from stored energy in the battery – and at what times.
The energy price increase will not result in any changes to the services provided to you. You can continue to expect the same reliable solar and battery solution and customer support.
No. You can expect the same billing procedures from your grid energy provider. Your monthly energy bill from our grid partners will reflect the new energy rate, but there will be no changes to the billing or payment methods.
Absolutely, your Energy Service Agreement enables you to change grid energy companies. However, changing provider will impact the savings guarantee.
SZ Servicing Limited (on behalf of SolarZero Contract Servicer Limited or SolarZero Residential Contract Servicer Limited (as applicable)) is responsible for communicating changes that affect your energy service, including pricing adjustments, because these competitive rates are secured exclusively for SolarZero customers. While the grid energy rate changes are implemented and billed by Ecotricity as SolarZero’s electricity retailer partner, SZ Servicing Limited serves as your primary point of contact for all matters related to your solar subscription.
Moving from Pulse to Ecotricity
On 1 April 2025, SZ Servicing discontinued the partnership arrangement it had with Pulse Energy. This meant that from 1 April onwards, SZ Servicing no longer offered price protected grid energy rates through Pulse Energy.
Pulse Energy stopped billing customers the SolarZero monthly energy services fee and this is now billed by SolarZero Energy Services directly. Please note the change in bank details as per the new invoice you are receiving.
From 1 April 2025, you will be billed your SolarZero monthly energy services fee by SolarZero Energy Services. This is the fixed monthly fee that you will pay for the duration of your contract for the solar system on your roof.
You will be billed for the energy you import from the grid by your energy retailer. This may be Ecotricity, Pulse, or someone else. This amount will vary each month, depending on your usage.
Additionally, you may receive a third bill if you are a gas or LPG customer. This may be from Pulse or another gas retailer.
If you have broadband with 2degrees through SolarZero, this will be included on your bill from SolarZero Energy Services.
To pay your SolarZero energy services fee, please contact customercare@solarzero.co.nz
You will need to contact your grid energy provider (and your gas provider) directly for their bank account details.
If you have an autopayment that you have previously set up via internet banking, you will need to update the bank details for this as that account is no longer correct and the bank details to pay into have changed.
If you think you have paid your outstanding invoices, it may have been paid into the wrong account. To request a refund, please email a copy of your bank document and your Account Number to customer.care@pulseenergy.co.nz.
Due to security purposes, Pulse are required to sight a bank document that includes your bank account name and number, and your address such as a bank statement or bank slip. Please note, a screenshot of your online banking is insufficient as it does not show an address.
Once Pulse receives your bank details, it will take 3-10 working days for the credit to be paid in your bank account. If you have an automatic payment set up, please ensure you cancel this so no further payments are taken from your account.
The SolarZero monthly energy services fee is billed in advance, meaning you are invoiced on the 1st May for the time period between 1-31 May.
Your grid energy bill from your grid retail partner is billed in arrears, meaning you are invoiced in early May for the time period between 1-30 April.
If you have completed a direct debit authority with SolarZero Energy Services Limited, then we will process your monthly fee via direct debit. This would have been completed with us when you first signed up. If you have not previously set up a direct debit authority with us, you can do so now.
To update your direct debit details for the SolarZero monthly fee, visit the mySolarZero app or desktop version, click your Profile (top right).
More information on how to do this is found here.