Fourth Trimester is back.

Fourth Trimester is our way of helping the most vulnerable New Zealanders at a time when they need it most. And at such a busy time for new parents’ lives, paying for energy is one less thing for them to think about. At Contact, we believe that it’s good to be home and Fourth Trimester is our way of bringing this to life for our customers.

Only the account holder can be set up for Fourth Trimester, so simply ask them to apply for the offer on your behalf. Remember that they’ll need the relevant documentation to prove there is a newborn in the household.

You can apply for Fourth Trimester from 1 November to 3 December (inclusive) as soon as you are a Contact customer and have a baby born from 1 - 30 November. It's easy to join online here. Please note it may take a few days to be confirmed as our customer, just look out for confirmation in your “Your energy account is all set” email. Then come back to this page to apply. Note, applications for Fourth Trimester will close on 3 December or once we get 1,000 customers taking it up – whichever comes first.

Yes, you can tell your friends and family about this great offer. If they meet the eligibility criteria they can apply.

You can apply on behalf of a friend or family member if they live in your household and have given their permission, but you do need to be the Contact account holder. Remember they’ll need to provide you with relevant documentation that there is a newborn in the household.

The quickest way to apply is online, otherwise you can call our dedicated number 0800 245 245. Remember to have your documentation ready so we can process your application.

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll get email confirmation that we’ve received it. Within the next few days, you’ll receive another email letting you know if you’ve been accepted or not.

We will be wiping the energy charges (excluding bottled gas) for three monthly bills in a row while on Fourth Trimester. Please note, the monthly bills will follow the standard monthly billing cycle though there could be occasions where the bill is for less than 30 days. If this occurs while on the Fourth Trimester, we will apply an additional credit on a subsequent bill which will be based on your average daily usage.

All electricity and piped gas charges within the three-month period is free. This includes daily charges and levies. This applies to both estimated and actual bills with no credits given for any estimated read which is adjusted afterwards.

Please note that:

• Broadband isn’t included.
• Bottled gas isn’t included.
• Outstanding debt is not included in your Fourth Trimester credit, so any outstanding debt will still need to be repaid.
• If you leave or move house, the Fourth Trimester will end with no credits given for any remaining period.

Yes, you’ll still receive any benefits of your current plan.

If you’re on Fourth Trimester when your fixed-term plan ends, we’ll let you know and give you all the details to choose another plan (with revised energy rates). This will not affect your Fourth Trimester credit.

You’ll probably get one more energy bill to pay before your Fourth Trimester credits kick in. Checking your bill dates will help you know when to expect these. If you’re new to Contact (welcome!), it's likely you'll get an initial bill to pay then your free ones will begin the following month.

Your free period will end after the third full consecutive bill that the Fourth Trimester period applies to. We’ll send you an email reminder a couple of weeks beforehand, so you’ll have plenty of time to prepare.

While on Fourth Trimester, you’ll still receive monthly bills from us, however the energy charges (excluding bottled gas) will be wiped, so no payment is required. You’ll see them appear as credits on your bill.

However, if you have broadband, bottled gas or outstanding debt, you’ll continue to be billed for this and payment is still required while on Fourth Trimester.

Regular payments:

• If you have a direct debit set up, no payments will come out as your monthly bills will be zero, unless you have a charge that isn’t covered by the Fourth Trimester, such as broadband or bottled gas.
• Any automatic payments (not direct debit) that you have set up will continue during the free period unless you opt to cancel them. To do this, you will need to contact your bank.

What happens to my plan after the free period ends?

Your plan will continue as at it did before Fourth Trimester, and you’ll still receive any associated benefits of that plan.

What happens to my energy rates after the free period ends?

Your energy rates will be the same as before Fourth Trimester, unless you are on an open-term energy plan where they can change as part of our usual price review process or where your fixed plan ends during the Fourth Trimester, and you move onto another plan. Please see question below for more details.

What happens to my payments after the free period ends?

• You will be billed for your energy usage monthly.
• If you previously paid your bills weekly or fortnightly, you can choose to change back via My Account or app.
• If you had a direct debit set up, you may need to check with your bank that this is still in place, as they may cancel it due to inactivity during the free period. If that’s the case, you’ll need to reinstate the direct debit via My Account or app.
• Any automatic payments (not direct debit) that you have set up will continue unless you opted to cancel them.  If you had an automatic payment (not direct debit) set up prior to the free period which you changed or cancelled, you will need to set it up again.
• If you were previously on SmoothPay, you can reinstate this via My Account or app.
• If you were previously on ControlPay, one of our call centre representatives will be in touch to help you reinstate this payment option.
• If you were previously on PrePay, you can choose to reinstate this if you still meet the eligibility criteria. Please give us a call on 0800 245 245

There will not be any price increases associated with the Fourth Trimester offer. If you’re on an open-term plan, you are still subject to any price changes as part of our usual price review process. We regularly review our customers’ prices and may choose to change them based on a number of factors that will be determined at the time.

If you’re on an open term energy plan, you can choose to leave Contact at any time. Just note, if you leave or move house during the Fourth Trimester free period, it’ll cease to apply with no credits given for any remaining period.

If you’re on a fixed term energy plan, the terms of the plan still stand. If you decide to end the agreement with us before the plan end date, an early termination fee of $150 per installation control point (ICP) may apply. Please refer to your plan agreement for details.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to take any remaining Fourth Trimester free period to your new house and we won’t give credits out for any remaining period.

Sorry no, just one baby per household, per year. This includes situations where there are multiples in the household, for example twins or triplets.

The offer is only available at the primary residence where the baby is living most of the time.

As a Contact customer, we invite you to sign up to receive special offers from us via email. We’ll often let you know about special offers ahead of everyone else, so you can get in first.

You can do this via MyAccount or Contact app:

• click on ‘My Details’
• then click on ‘Account Details’
• then check the box ‘Send me special offers, energy saving tips and news by email’

Not part of the Contact family yet? We’d love to see you back here soon or give us a follow on Instagram and Facebook.