MainPower supports drought support services for local farmers

As the ongoing dry weather continues to pose significant challenges to farmers in our community, MainPower is proud to announce further support for the North Canterbury Rural Support Trust – a local service provider dedicated to offering essential support services to farmers during trying times.

With our commitment, MainPower hopes to help alleviate some of the burdens faced by our local agricultural community and ensure they receive the assistance they need to navigate through this challenging period.

The drought conditions have presented farmers with unprecedented obstacles, including stock feed shortages, crop failures, and financial strain. In response to these challenges, the North Canterbury Rural Support Trust has been actively working to provide a range of support services tailored to the specific needs of farmers in our area. From financial counselling and community wellbeing events to access to vital resources and educational workshops, their efforts have been instrumental in helping farmers withstand the impacts of the drought and sustain their livelihoods.

With a largely rural network, MainPower recognises the critical role that farmers play in our community and the broader agricultural landscape. By supporting The North Canterbury Rural Support Trusts work, MainPower hopes to in some way help those affected by the drought within our network.

The Rural Support Trust expressed their gratitude for the contribution from MainPower, emphasising the significance of corporate support to their operations “The support from MainPower will enable us to provide vital assistance to even more farmers facing hardships due to the drought,” said North Canterbury Rural Support Trust Chairman, Noel McGirr “the funding will help us to help local farmers and ensure they have the support they need to overcome these challenges.”

For more information about The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust and their support services, please visit www.rural-support.org.nz/Regions/South-Island/North-Canterbury

About The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust

The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust is a part of a national network dedicated to providing support services to farmers and their families. The North Canterbury Rural Support Trust delivers a range of initiatives, events and support services to assist farmers in North Canterbury to overcome challenges and sustain their livelihoods during times of crisis.

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Important notifications

Hot water load testing under way ahead of winter

Until mid‑April, we’re working closely with retailers to carry out hot water load testing as we prepare our network for the coming winter season.

These tests run for a couple of hours each day, Monday to Friday, with no testing taking place over weekends. Because each test window is relatively short, customers are unlikely to notice any changes to their hot water supply.

The purpose of this work is to help us better understand how much controllable load is available during the summer months. Gaining accurate insights now means we can model customer savings more effectively by reducing system load at peak times. It also helps us assess whether this load flexibility could assist Transpower in deferring an upcoming local transmission upgrade.

This testing is an important part of ensuring a resilient, efficient network that supports our community.

MainPower Trust elections

Voting is open for the 2026 MainPower Trust election.

Voting packs have been emailed or posted by Electionz.com to everyone who pays a power bill on the MainPower network. You need to have the unique ID provided to cast your vote.

If you haven’t received a voting pack, or can’t find it, you can get a replacement by contacting iro@electionz.com.  For full details of the candidates, visit mainpowertrust.co.nz/trustee-elections/

Make the most of this opportunity to have your say on the future of MainPower – and your community.

Voting closes midday Friday 6 March 2026. 

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Outage notifications

Hot water load testing under way ahead of winter

Until mid‑April, we’re working closely with retailers to carry out hot water load testing as we prepare our network for the coming winter season.

These tests run for a couple of hours each day, Monday to Friday, with no testing taking place over weekends. Because each test window is relatively short, customers are unlikely to notice any changes to their hot water supply.

The purpose of this work is to help us better understand how much controllable load is available during the summer months. Gaining accurate insights now means we can model customer savings more effectively by reducing system load at peak times. It also helps us assess whether this load flexibility could assist Transpower in deferring an upcoming local transmission upgrade.

This testing is an important part of ensuring a resilient, efficient network that supports our community.

MainPower Trust elections

Voting is open for the 2026 MainPower Trust election.

Voting packs have been emailed or posted by Electionz.com to everyone who pays a power bill on the MainPower network. You need to have the unique ID provided to cast your vote.

If you haven’t received a voting pack, or can’t find it, you can get a replacement by contacting iro@electionz.com.  For full details of the candidates, visit mainpowertrust.co.nz/trustee-elections/

Make the most of this opportunity to have your say on the future of MainPower – and your community.

Voting closes midday Friday 6 March 2026. 

Privacy Policy

Is your outage not listed?

Troubleshoot your outage
Treat all lines as live during the outage period; power may be restored at any time. If you require further information, please call MainPower’s 24-hour faults line. To report an emergency, call 111.

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