ZEN Energy Auckland — Local services in Waitematā

Updated Summary: Good products on offer, middle of the pack in price, takes feedback well, and ZEN can be fast with communicating but my recommendation would just be to make your expectations around that clear from the start.

Updated from 2 star to 4 star review two weeks later. The project coordinator got in touch the next morning after I wrote the review and emailed them, they informed me that the sales person I had been trying to get in touch with had left ZEN and that's why I was not hearing anything back. After discussion ZEN moved quickly to resolve the Redback portal account issue, and to organize for the installer to return and set up the relays. The operations manager also called me to explain that the gaps in communication that I experienced during the initial process had been addressed, so it's great they took that feedback on. They also reduced the bill for the installer to return from about $1500, to $500. However, getting the relays installed at the same time as the system would have been ideal because the relays only required a few cable runs, two new RCDs, and most of the time was spent retrofitting to the already installed system.

Initial Review: I got in touch with ZEN and many other providers at the end of October and aimed for an install before Christmas 2023. ZEN were about second quickest out of eight companies to get back to me and after a video call and a bit of back and forward, just after a week I had a mid-range quote in hand. After two weeks only four of eight companies had come back with pricing and I preferred the Redback inverted over the Huawei and other brands because it is an Aussie brand and has built in relays and EBS. I made it very clear that going forward that the level of communication I had received up to that point is what I would continue to expect.

Once I decided to get on board I was passed onto an project coordinator* and received the deposit invoice, then things were very quiet. After chasing up, install was done the week before Christmas but I wasn't told at any point before the installers were present that the system wouldn't be active until it had been inspected, or that the system wouldn't export until the energy meter had been changed, or when either of those things would happen. Simply a failure to communicate these things.

I had trouble getting responses out of the project coordinator* and a couple* of times was told I would get sent some info by email which didn't happen until chasing up.

Since the system has been fully up and running I've been trying to get in touch about utilizing the relays in the inverter, and there's been account issues with the login portal but most of my emails are not being replied to.

In summary - not the cheapest, communications were more of a battle than expected considering how much the system cost, after sales support is rather wanting, but the Redback itself is a decent product.

*corrections and edits...

To set the scene - I was looking for various options on a Solar panel and battery solution for our 1930's newly renovated home, in Central Lower Hutt, NZ.

Zen Energy's Approach. I found the Zen Energy online website and enquiry process quick and easy to follow. Within 2 days they had made contact and begun discussions.

Tom Meijer - is the perfect technical sales person. Tom has an excellent technical understanding of both panels and battery solutions and is open and honest about their pros and cons compared to alternative / competitor solutions.  Tom commits to and delivers what and when he states he will. Being an engineer myself, I appreciated his positive, friendly but direct manner.

I received my first proposal within 12 hours of our first discussion and over the next week, following further discussions based on my growing understanding of what we actually needed, I received follow up proposals offering me the full range of functionality versus costs.

Compared to the other 3 companies that I dealt with, Zen Energy were top for prompt, professional and competitively priced solutions. I am now waiting to see if their installation team are as good as...

We recently had the pleasure of working with Tom from Zen Energy during our exploration of solar panel solutions, and we want to commend him for his outstanding service and professionalism.

From the outset, Tom demonstrated genuine commitment and care. He took the time to visit our site in person, working closely with us to develop a tailored solar design that reflected both our needs and the unique characteristics of our property. His patience and diligence throughout the process were exceptional.

What truly set Tom apart was his thoughtful approach to assessing cost benefits. Rather than relying on generic models, he used our actual time-of-use data to provide indicative savings that were specific to our household.

We would highly recommend Tom to anyone considering solar energy solutions. He’s a credit to Zen Energy, and we’re grateful for the time and care he put into...