It's feeling like it will be a long hard winter. With tightening budgets and increased power use a certainty over the next couple of months many people are trying to work out how to keep their electricity costs down. I'm getting plenty of letters about power prices in my Consumer Affairs portfolio.

I suspect most kiwis have no idea if they are on the right electricity pricing plan to suit their needs or whether they are signed up to the most appropriate electricity provider. I'm also pretty sure that not many know about Powerswitch. It is a free, independent, internet-based electricity cost comparison service that tells people the choices available to them and allows them to determine if they are signed up to the right plan.

The website is run by Consumer NZ who are contracted to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Up and running since 2001, it is increasingly becoming better known. The site had just over 10,000 visits in January 09, over 15,0000 in February and 13,500 in March. Predictably it is more heavily used in the winter months - in June last year 53,963 people visited.

The site is very user-friendly. Have your power bill ready, answer a few questions about your electricity and heating situation and you will receive a table with comparisons of companies and plans available in your area. Don't just moan about your electricity bill - go to www.powerswitch.org.nz and see if you already have the best deal, or maybe its time for a change.