Your August News from New Zealand

Adapting Household Goods to NZ: Electrical Goods

It can be tricky to know what household goods should be left behind versus adapted for use in New Zealand. Electrical goods present a particular challenge with standards varying all over the world.

Anything that plugs into the wall needs to be evaluated carefully. NZ electricity is 230V supply voltage and 50Hz frequency. We use a Type I plug.

Voltage, frequency, and plug type are all separate issues to consider. You’ll want to inspect the information plate on each electrical product to assess the situation.

Voltage

The easiest products are dual voltage, indicated by a range (110-240V, for example) on the information plate. For these appliances, you don’t need to do anything with the voltage; you’ll simply need a plug converter to allow you to connect it to the main power. Often, laptop chargers or other appliances with a power brick fall into this category.

Most appliances are single voltage and only designed to be run at a particular voltage. If you’re coming from somewhere with voltage other than 220/230V, you’ll need to either adapt them or replace them with a 230V appliance.

Rewiring can be an option for low power electrical devices where you can find a specialist sparkie (electrician) to rewire them. For example, we had a client who brought a collection of lamps and had them rewired instead of having a transformer with each one.

Most single voltage devices, however, will require a transformer, which allows an electrical item to operate on a voltage other than the one originally intended. First, check the information plate for the power value in Watts (peak draw of the device). Then, find a transformer that will support that power draw. The more powerful the transformer, the more expensive and the larger and heavier the transformer. This is often where you balance replacement cost with cost/space/inconvenience of a transformer. For example, a transformer with enough power to support a kettle would be as big or bigger than the kettle and cost close to double what a new 230V kettle would cost.

Tips for shopping for a transformer:

Buy from a reputable supplier and make sure that it has markings indicating regulatory safety approval. Be skeptical of any particularly inexpensive ones.
Check expat groups and TradeMe to find transformers secondhand from expats leaving New Zealand.
Evaluate whether you could share a transformer across multiple appliances.

Frequency

For some electrical devices, frequency (50Hz in NZ) doesn’t have to be a perfect match; however, any time you’re using devices with frequency that’s not 50Hz, you run the risk of damaging or shortening the lifespan of the product.

For devices with direct AC, it is important for the frequency to match between appliance and mains power. If the power frequency isn’t what the appliance was made to handle, you can damage the device, cause it to malfunction, or even start a fire. Anything with timing or a motor is particularly susceptible to this.

While you can get a frequency converter, they are very expensive specialist equipment and typically not justified compared to replacement cost of the appliance.

Due to electrical frequency, consider:

Heat - Items generating heat (for example, heaters, kettle, hair dryers, iron, pressure cooker) are typically better replaced than adapted due to safety and fire concerns.
Appliance Lifespan - Running an appliance on a transformer over the long term will shorten the lifespan of the appliance, particularly if there’s not a perfect match in frequency, so think about whether that’s an acceptable trade-off for you.

Plug

The plug is the easiest thing to solve on the electric front. You can buy inexpensive plug converters that will allow non-Type I plugs to connect to our Type I outlets. Power bricks in Type I are often available from manufacturers as well as from third parties. And, on non-power brick appliances, rewiring can be done through a home improvement store kit or a sparkie.

Beyond the technical considerations, remember the practical side of deciding what electrical goods are worth adapting versus replacing.

Your Plans - You’ll likely weigh things differently if you’re moving to NZ permanently versus if you only plan to stay in NZ for a shorter period of time.
Replacement Availability and Cost - Do a little research to see what the replacement appliance cost/selection is going to look like. For example, a client was planning to replace their Japanese 110V rice cooker once they arrived in NZ, but then they discovered that only the exact same (110V) product was available in NZ...so it made more sense to bring theirs and use it with a transformer.
Space/Convenience - Transformers take up space and can be large and heavy if very powerful. Consider how many of them you want to see on your kitchen bench or store in your cupboards as well as what items you love enough to go through the extra trouble of using its transformer/converter.

Like most parts of moving to NZ, there’s not a one size fits all solution. If you have specific questions, feel free to reach out to us for help!

Kia ora. It’s your editor, Amanda, here. My family (Kiwi husband and three kids) and I have just celebrated our one-year anniversary of moving to New Zealand from the US, and I thought I’d share with you what I’d tell myself if I could go back in time.

Dear Amanda One Year Ago,

You’re on the journey of a lifetime. Moving with a family is not like moving as a single 20-something. Moreover, moving during a pandemic is a major accomplishment and serious exercise in emotional gymnastics. Try to celebrate the small wins when you can; they will add up if you look for them.

You’ll worry about your kids and prioritise getting them settled, but don’t forget to also look for sources of joy for yourself. Your peace and sense of security will impact the rest of the family and are worth your investment.

You’re about to experience being the "other" for one of the first times in your privileged life. This experience will help you better understand your partner, who dealt with this in your home country for 15+ years. While it may be uncomfortable at times, it will teach you empathy and humility in a whole new way and has the potential to make you more confident in being uniquely you.

Although this is a permanent move, try to focus less on your heavy long-term decisions. Instead, embrace as much holiday living in your daily life as possible and prioritise living in the present. Recognise each trip to the supermarket as a chance to find a new favourite food, each coffee with an acquaintance a chance to meet your new best friend, each local explore a chance to find your new favourite place. Before you know it, you’ll find your rhythm, people, and places.

This first year will be anything but predictable. Go with it and trust your instincts along the way. You’re stronger than you think, and you are equipped for the low lows and high highs ahead of you.

Kia kaha.

Immigration and Border Updates

Update on Visa Processing: The government has extended the existing suspension of processing of visas for people outside of NZ until 6 February 2022, though it could lift if border restrictions change. This suspension does not include those not subject to or with exemptions to Covid restrictions.
Status Quo: The border remains closed with limited exceptions. Those able to enter must book a spot in MIQ (managed isolation/quarantine) before departing and must provide a pre-departure COVID test result with the exception of quarantine-free travel with the Cook Islands. QFT with Australia is currently paused.

John and his family - including 2 cats and 2 dogs - moved to Christchurch from Japan this winter. We supported them through the complex pet transport process, which included having to change suppliers at the last minute and then having to work around one cat's microchip malfunctioning.

The final hurdle was finding pet-friendly accommodation for the family of four humans and four animals for the period between MIQ and moving into the house the family had purchased. After an unsuccessful search on well-known sites, Mobile was able to connect them with a bespoke property booking service. It took a personal appeal to two property owners, including providing background on the pets, but John's family was able to move into a 4 bedroom house with a garden for the dogs to get settled out of MIQ.