An energy efficiency advocate says it's only a matter of time before rising wholesale electricity prices flow through to consumers

The Electricity Authority and Commerce Commission are looking into accusations of price gouging by electricity generators.

Chris Mardon -- the managing director of bulb company Ecobulb -- is calling for more investment and incentives for energy efficiency, to take the edge off.

He says rolling out more low-cost energy saving measures could save Kiwis about a billion dollars a year in power bills.

Mardon says a year ago, there was about half a billion dollars in the Government's budget for residential and commercial energy efficiency, and all that funding has been cut.