Pulse Utilities', New Zealand's fastest growing energy retailer*, has launched a 'no-frills' cut-price power brand to complement their existing 'Pulse Energy' brand.

Sales & Marketing Manager Ashley Church says the new brand, to be known as Just Energy, was developed in response to market feedback and reinforces the companies' strategy of bringing increased competition to the electricity market:

"We're continuing to find that dissatisfaction with the cost of electricity is the number one driver of customer switching - so Just Energy has been launched to bring real price competition to the industry".

Mr Church says that Just Energy will offer highly competitive pricing, fixed price guarantees, monthly meter reads and no contracts. He says that the new brand was trialled for 4 weeks prior to being launched and the results were overwhelming.

"Our Pulse Energy brand is already the fastest growing retail energy brand in New Zealand* - but during our trial the uptake for Just Energy significantly outstripped even that growth".

Mr Church says Just Energy will be immediately available in Auckland, Waikato, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson and Blenheim - and will quickly move into other territories over the next couple of months.

"We expect to be covering over 60% of New Zealand by the end of 2010"

Commenting on the launch of Just Energy, Pulse Utilities CEO Dene Biddlecombe said:

"New Zealand households are really looking to reduce their energy costs and through Just Energy we will continue to help them to do that."

Pulse Utilities existing brand, Pulse Energy, will continue to operate and will now have a tighter focus on offering solutions based on Smart Meter technology. Just Energy - which will not include a Smart Meter offering - will focus on price competition.

Mr Church says that existing Pulse Energy customers who would like to switch to the Just Energy brand will be given the opportunity to do so over the next couple of months.

Pulse Utilities will also continue to push for no stand down period for customers wanting to switch energy providers. The current stand down period is 23 days and will reduce to 10 days on 1 September.