For home and business

Whether you need a new connection or advice on keeping your business running during a power outage, we can help.

New connections

If you’re moving into a new building and need your power switched on, get in touch with your electricity retailer (who you pay your bill to). If you need connection alterations, or you’re planning a purpose-built office space, check out the Get Connected process.

Business continuity 

Keeping your business running when things don’t go to plan starts with having a business continuity plan. This should cover a range of ‘what‑if’ scenarios so your operations can continue safely and smoothly.

One of the disruptions to consider is a power outage, whether it’s planned maintenance or an unexpected fault. Below are some practical things to consider so your business can keep operating if the lights go out.

Temporary generators

Where possible, we'll provide a temporary generator during a planned power outage to:  

  • Schools (including holiday programmes)  
  • Early childcare centres
  • Healthcare (including hospices, medical centres and emergency services)  
  • Elderly care facilities  
  • Veterinary clinics  

If your business type is not listed above and needs guaranteed continuous electricity supply, we recommend arranging for temporary power generation.  

A range of generator options are available, including uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to keep internet, phones and EFTPOS running, as well as standby petrol or diesel generators. We are happy to provide advice on generator options. 

You can hire long or short-term generators from a number of local providers including:

It’s a good idea to contact them early so you know what generator options are available before you need them.

Click below for tips on how to stay safe while using temporary generators.

Using generators in an outage

If you have arranged to use a temporary generator during a planned outage, please call us on 0800 22 00 05 to let us know. This will help us to keep our team safe while they are working on the electricity network.

Building security

Power outages can affect many of your building’s safety and security systems. We recommend you consider the following as part of your planning:

Security systems

  • Doors, gates and access-control systems may not operate without power
  • Alarms and cameras may switch off unless they have battery back‑ups
  • If your building requires additional protection, consider arranging onsite security during an outage

Lifts

  • Ensure lifts are locked off before a planned outage to prevent people getting trapped
  • Place a notice on lift doors to let people know they are out of service

Emergency lighting

  • Check how long your emergency and back‑up lighting will last during a power cut
  • Identify any areas without natural light and provide battery-powered lighting if needed

Keeping your team informed

  • Let staff know what to expect during a power outage, including whether the premises will close or if they should work from home

Carpark access

If the power is out, carpark barriers may not work. If there is a manual override, let your team know how it works or if it’s a planned outage, open it beforehand. 

Consider having security if you need to protect access to your building. 

Protect your food

If your business relies on perishable foods that need to be chilled, insulated freezer blankets are an option, or look to have an alternative location to store your food.

Protect sensitive equipment

Consider using surge protectors to avoid damage to sensitive appliances like computers and other electronics. This can help protect against the unlikely event of a power surge when electricity is restored. 

Talk to your equipment supplier about how to safely power down and restart items like servers, pumps, electric doors and lifts during an outage. They can help you understand what will happen when the power goes off and what to check before turning everything back on. 

Business continuity on the farm

Power outages on farms, orchards and vineyards can cause significant disruptions including loss of access to water and potentially impacts on animal welfare.

DairyNZ has some useful information on what to consider around the farm to minimise the impacts of a power outage.    

Power outages - Dairy NZ

Be prepared for power outages

We want to help make sure you're ready for planned and unplanned power outages to minimise the impact on your business. 

What to do before, during, and after a power outage