The Defence Force has changed its power company to try to stem increases in power prices.
Defence spends about $8 million per year on electricity for its Navy, Army and Air Force headquarters, bases and camps.
It has fixed price contracts with Meridian Energy for the last eight years, but has switched to Contact Energy, which it says offered a significantly cheaper deal.
Defence says the arrival of seven new Navy ships and a number of infrastructure projects such as new hangars at Ohakea air base will mean its overall power consumption will increase over the next few years.
It says this trend would counteract the gains made by its energy efficiency programme.
