Community backup power

We're installing backup generation in some areas of our electricity footprint to help power communities during outages.

 

Supporting resilience

Our electricity network is made up of sections or ‘feeders’, connecting our customers to our substations. Power to the Whangamōmona, Castlepoint, Riversdale Beach and Himatangi Beach communities is supplied by single feeders, which means we are unable to re-route power from another feeder to restore supply if there’s an outage, such as a tree going through a line in a storm, a vehicle colliding with a power pole, or during a planned outage for maintenance.

With generation, there’s a resource ready to help power the community in the event of the main electricity feed being unavailable. It also enables local communities to set up community hubs to supply essential services for people in the event of a natural disaster.

Castlepoint customers: Please note, for your generator to be safely connected to the electricity network, a planned outage is scheduled for Friday 15 March. The outage is scheduled for between 1pm and 2.20pm. We don’t expect the outage will last the entire time. Instead, we envisage two 15-minute outages during the outage period on the day. Customers will receive notification of any planned outage through their electricity retailer, the company they pay their power bill to. They will also be able to view if an outage affects them, closer to the time, on our planned outage webpage.

 

Conserving energy
 
While generation should be available when the main power supply is lost in the townships, we will need to work together to reduce electricity use where we can so that the generator isn’t overloaded and can continue to power the likes of wifi, fridges, freezers and heating in winter. This means only using power when you need it.  For example, keeping your fridge and freezer operating, but reducing the use of the washing machine or dishwasher by washing dishes by hand. Only turning the light or heater on in the room you are in and turning off heated towels rails, and not using heat pumps for cooling during warmer months. You can read more ways to save energy here.