What we've done and what we're doing

We're here to electrify millions of fossil fuel machines and turn Aotearoa New Zealand into the world's most electric economy. Here's how we're doing it - and how you can help.
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What did we achieve in 2024?

Built a team of experts

In 2024, we built a team of engineers, scientists, storytellers and organisers to help electrify (almost) everything in New Zealand.
Read about our mission

Did the foundational research and raised awareness

We crunched the numbers and found that New Zealand was one of the first countries to reach the 'electrification tipping point', where buying new electric machines is cheaper over their lifetime than buying fossil fuel machines, and that electrification was an opportunity to save the country billions each year, rather than a cost to bear. We also produced papers showing how decision-makers can level the playing field for customers.
Explore our research

Focused on a more positive climate narrative

Climate action is often slanted towards sacrifice, but we advocate for substitution and electrifying the machines in your home, farm or business is one of the best things you can do from an emissions perspective - plus, it will save you money and there is no need to sacrifice on performance. This message is resonating strongly.

Established our reputation among decision makers

We gained the trust of MPs, ministers, policymakers and industry leaders by being fiercely independent and data-driven.

Created practical guides and an electrification calculator

Electrification sounds good, but it can be complex. We laid out all the benefits and helped New Zealanders through that process with our guides and showed them how much they could save with our calculator.
See what you could save and how to make it happen

Catalysed the creation of community electrification groups

The grassroots movement is a crucial part of to Rewiring's mission and we kickstarted a number of different groups, from Wairarapa to Wānaka.
See where these groups are and what they're up to

What are we doing in 2025?

Developing electrification loans for everyone

We want to make it easier for Kiwis to access low-interest funding for electrification upgrades in their homes and businesses and reduce their cost of living and emissions. These long-term loans will be tied to property and administered by local or central Government.

Fixing the laws, rules and codes

We'll continue to work with Government and officials to modernise regulations, level the playing field for customers with solar, batteries and EVs, ensure we plan well for future technology shifts, and remove barriers to electrification.

Getting the electrification industry ready

We'll collaborate with businesses, trades and decision-makers, help create the foundations to build a skilled workforce, and ensure the sector is ready to power New Zealand’s electric future.

Continue building a local electrification movement

We'll keep working to empower local communities to form networks, offer advice to homeowners and businesses, push local officials for change and drive grassroots action.
See where these groups are and what they're up to

What can you do? 

Spread the word

Share our research and thinking with your colleagues and show as many people as possible that electrification is a massive win-win for New Zealand. It is a rare issue that those of all different political persuasions should be able to agree on.

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Support our policy manifesto

Coming soon...

Stay tuned for our upcoming policy manifesto, which will lay out our vision for the next few years - and, if followed, will have a positive impact on the next few decades and turn New Zealand into a global electrification leader.

Join, support or create local community groups

There are a growing number of people looking to electrify and they often need advice. There are also a growing number of decision makers who can see the economic and environmental benefits that come from supporting electrification. You can help drive this movement in your own area and help make a tangible improvement to people's lives and the country as a whole.
Can't find a local group? Fill in this form and we'll help you start one

Donate to the cause or fund specific projects

Rewiring Aotearoa relies on the support of New Zealand-based philanthropists but we also work with businesses and central and local government agencies on specific projects and are happy to work directly with those who want to fund projects in particular regions or with specific goals.
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Support our work with a donation
Check out our current and planned projects

Reports and papers

Symmetrical Export Tariffs Reports

If symmetrical export tariffs were implemented, New Zealand homes, farms and businesses with solar and batteries could contribute much more to our energy system, lower the price of energy for all New Zealanders, and provide a more secure and resilient electricity system overall. That’s why we need urgent regulatory action to make symmetrical export tariffs mandatory across all networks.
Open Symmetrical Export Tariffs Paper
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Electric Farms Report

Early generations of farmers had to learn to be self-sufficient and make the most of the resources they had around them. And what farmers have around them now is plenty of land, lots of sun, increasing demand for renewable electricity and a need to save money and diversify their revenue streams. Using, creating and storing more electricity on New Zealand’s farms is in the best economic and environmental interests of the rural and energy sectors and New Zealand as a whole.
Visit Report Page

Electric Homes Report

New Zealand is one of the first countries to reach what’s called the ‘electrification tipping point’, where households can save money and also significantly reduce their emissions by electrifying their appliances and vehicles.  On average, homes currently using gas appliances and petrol vehicles could save around $1,500 per year at current interest rates and around $4,500 per year with a low-interest loan if they bought electric equivalents and got their electricity from a combination of rooftop solar, home battery and New Zealand’s already highly renewable grid.
Visit Report Page

Delivered Cost of Energy Report

Investment decisions about the best kind of generation for New Zealand cannot just be about generation cost. The calculations we use to make these decisions need to change to reflect new technologies like rooftop solar and batteries and the value that they offer to customers and the system as a whole.

The most important energy cost is not what a corporation pays to generate it, but what a consumer pays to buy it. The price of crude oil is not what matters to consumers, it’s the price at the pump. And the same needs to be true of electricity. 
Open Symmetrical Export Tariffs Paper
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The Electrification Opportunity Report

The cost of buying and financing electric machines is cheaper over the long run than using fossil fuels because they use energy much more efficiently. That leads to significant savings for individual households, and even more savings for those with rooftop solar and batteries.

This could lead to combined savings of $29 million per day or $10.7 billion per year by 2040 and also avoid millions of tonnes of carbon emissions per year by removing the need for expensive and mostly imported fossil fuels in exchange for more electricity generated in New Zealand. 

Authors: Dr Saul Griffith, Josh Ellison, Michelle Pawson, Paul Conway*. Peer reviewed by Geoff Simmons*

*The contributions of Paul Conway, the chief economist at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and Geoff Simmons, the chief economist at the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, do not constitute an official endorsement from either organisation. 

Open Symmetrical Export Tariffs Paper
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Visit Report Page

Our Projects

Our mission is to electrify millions of fossil fuel machines in New Zealand by 2030 and create the world's most electric economy, and we are always working on projects that will help us reach that goal, whether it's research into the barriers stopping New Zealanders from electrifying, to pilot projects that will create powerful demonstrations of the economic and environmental benefits.  

Surveys

Rewiring Aotearoa represents everyday New Zealanders in the energy transition and is working to build an electrified future where every Kiwi saves money on energy bills, reduces their carbon emissions and has the resilience to keep their lights on and homes warm.

We continue to gather data on electrification in New Zealand homes, farms and businesses to understand where we are on the transitioon, show the massive economic and environmental opportunities, and clear some of the barriers that are getting in the way.

Fill in or find out more about our surveys
National Machine Count

Rewiring Aotearoa’s previous work has identified a massive electrification opportunity for New Zealand, where households could save thousands per year and the country could save over $10 billion per year if we swap fossil fuel machines for electric equivalents in our households.

But we want to understand more about the electrification opportunity on different business types and farm types so we can provide a pathway for each of them to lower their energy bills and emissions. This requires understanding the machines they use.

To do this, we are undertaking a National Machine Count. This involves combining existing data with new survey data on what machines are used in homes, businesses, and farms from all over New Zealand.

Learn more about our machine count
Community Groups

We have already established a number of community groups around the motu and they are spreading the gospel of electrification in their area.

Electrify Grey Lynn
‍Electrify Hawke's Bay
‍Electrify The Hutt
‍Electrify Kāpiti
‍Electrify Queenstown
‍Electrify Taranaki
‍Electrify Waiheke
‍Electrify Wairarapa
‍Electrify Wānaka
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We will continue to push hard to create more community groups and we have a particular focus on lower socio-economic regions where people will benefit most from the cost savings and price stability that electrification offers.

Get in touch with our ecosystem lead if you want to support existing groups or fund projects in specific regions

Regional reports

Different regions have different motivations for electrifying. By combining our existing survey data, adding more data through council and community channels and using our national modelling, we can show the economic and environmental opportunity in front of these regions - from savings on fossil fuels, to job creation, to emission reductions, to air quality improvements.

These reports will also include case studies from homeowners, farmers and businesses in your region who are already on the electrification journey and can inspire others to follow suit.

Get in touch if you want your own bespoke report
Rakiura / Stewart Island pilot

Rakiura / Stewart Island faces the highest electricity prices in New Zealand. Successive governments have funded report after report and numerous fly-in visits by Ministers have failed to change this situation for the local community.

Rewiring Aotearoa believes that supply-side options alone are highly unlikely to be the lowest cost option for Stewart Island or the taxpayer. The opportunity is to harness existing solar and battery technology to deliver significant cost-of-living savings and reduced emissions at scale via electrification on Stewart Island. With financed solar and batteries electricity usage costs for residents could be halved without delay.

We want to prove what's possible and believe a pilot project will do it.

Read our proposal here
Tāhuna / Queenstown pilot

We’re currently working on a project to electrify Queenstown that will be funded by council, trusts, government departments and philanthropists and will require the support of equipment manufacturers, banks, retailers and lines companies. 

The project is being led by Rewiring's Steve Batstone and, as he says: “We are pushing for Queenstown to become the world’s most electric destination city. We will be going out to households and businesses to ask if they would be willing to commit to upgrading their fossil fuel machines, adding solar and batteries and sharing their results. There are huge potential benefits here: international awareness for Queenstown and New Zealand, less need for infrastructure spending on new poles and wires, big emissions reductions, the creation of an electrification innovation ecosystem in the region, and a model that other towns and cities will be able to follow. That’s why we’re investing so much time and effort into this project as we believe it will have a massive impact.”

Contact us and see how you can help

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About Rewiring Aotearoa

Rewiring Aotearoa is an independent non-partisan non-profit. It is a registered charity working on energy, climate, and electrification research, advocacy, and supporting communities through the energy transition. The team consists of New Zealand energy, policy, and community outreach experts who have demonstrated experience both locally and internationally.

We're in it for you. We’re always fighting for the New Zealanders who use the energy system. Our work gives households and businesses the information and inspiration they need to make decisions that will reduce their costs and their carbon emissions.

Our Purpose

By combining research, communication and demonstration, Rewiring Aotearoa will accelerate climate action and transform the energy system to benefit all New Zealanders.

Our Team

Rewiring Aotearoa is a group of New Zealand leaders who work within the climate, energy, policy, data and storytelling space. We believe the cross section of these skills will help us rapidly electrify Aotearoa New Zealand. See available roles here.

Our Funding

Rewiring Aotearoa’s New Zealand-based team is primarily funded by a group of New Zealand-based philanthropists, with a small chunk of funding generated through projects and donations from supporters.

Support us

Your donations help our team keep the momentum of rapidly electrifying Aotearoa New Zealand within our key focus areas of community, government and industry.

Donate
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