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Power outage safety

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Be prepared
Safety advice
Top tips

If it’s an emergency (such as a car accident involving power lines or a transformer fire), please call 111.

It’s important to know how to keep yourself and others safe around the electricity network during a power outage.

We’re here to help. Get in touch if you need help. Or, check out our FAQs.

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0800 30 90 80

Be prepared

Power outages can happen at any time. It’s important to know how to stay safe during a power outage.

Start preparing for a power outage now. Check out our Prepare for an Outage page for hints and tips.

Find out how to safely use a generator during a power outage with our generator safety tips.

Safety advice

Stay safe during planned or unplanned power outages. If you have any concerns, call us on 0800 30 90 80.

  • In an emergency (such as a car accident involving power lines or a transformer fire), call 111.
  • During a power outage, treat ALL power lines as live. Do not go near them because power can be restored at any time.
  • Report any hazards to our 24-hour faults line: 0800 30 90 80.

Top tips

Stay safe during planned or unplanned power outages. If you any concerns, call us on 0800 30 90 80.

  • Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
  • Check on your neighbours. Older adults and young children are especially vulnerable to extreme temperatures.
  • Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Power may return with momentary “surges” or “spikes” that can cause damage.

We’re here to help

If you need some assistance or advice, please get in touch with our team.

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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. 

Privacy Policy

Outages
0800 30 90 80

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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.

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

Outages
0800 30 90 80

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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0800 30 90 80
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