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Trent Yeo, the founder of Ziptrek Ecotours, is a big supporter of his region's goal to become the world's most electric destination, a vision being brought to life by the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator. And he walks the talk with his own low-impact business and his highly efficient all-electric home.
His relatively small but perfectly formed house, which he says was around 15 years in the making, was built with passive house principles, so it requires much less energy to run than a standard home. It also features efficient electric machines and a sizeable solar and battery system.
That combination adds up to much lower bills (possibly $0 for the whole year as he can export excess energy, and that includes charging two EVs), greater resilience (both from volatile energy prices and natural disasters), and better air quality (which is an important consideration in his often smokey hometown of Arrowtown).
As energy prices continue to rise, more New Zealanders are figuring out that they can do what Trent has done, invest upfront in the right technology, and save thousands every year.
Getting off foreign fossil fuels and embracing locally-made electrons - from the grid and from your own rooftop - is a proven way to reduce costs and reduce emissions. And it's not about sacrifice, it's about substitution.
As he says: "Every day all of us can do better in work and play."
High fuel prices are hurting different demographics in different ways. We've seen stories of low-income households having to choose between food and transport; businesses reliant on diesel that are on the brink as margins shrink; and now, those in rural districts spending "as much as five times more of their household budgets on fuel than city dwellers".
Paul Spain heads to Central Otago to meet Mike Casey at Electric Cherries, exploring what happens when tech thinking meets hands‑on farming. Mike shares his journey from scaling tech startups in Sydney to creating New Zealand’s first fully electric cherry orchard, powered by onsite solar to reduce energy costs and build long‑term resilience. The conversation dives into the real economics of electrification, smart infrastructure choices, and how practical technology decisions can unlock productivity, sustainability, and future growth for New Zealand businesses.
Read moreDownloadThe OECD has just released its 2026 report on New Zealand's economy. And when it comes to energy, it basically gave us a 'must try harder' grade. On the proposed LNG terminal - which, remarkably, is still not dead yet despite all evidence suggesting it should be - the OECD said, as we have said, that it would not serve its intended function of lowering prices.
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