Essential Electricity Work Continuing During Covid-19 Lockdown

Update 9 September 2021

Our work programme under Level 2

Planned outages and our work programme will return to business as usual under Alert Level 2, with the relevant safety restrictions in place. Our team will continue to work hard to ensure all planned outages are well managed and there is minimal disruption to the community. 

For more information about what the work programme looks like at each alert level, please refer to the schedule below. Please check our outages page for information on specific outages.

If you see our crews out in the community, please give them plenty of space so they can get the job done quickly and safely. As always, our Customer Experience team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 22 00 05.

Update 30 August 2021

Aurora Energy Chief Executive Richard Fletcher said, “Our goal is to make sure the lights stay on for our customers, and with everyone at home during Alert Levels 3 and 4 we know they need a reliable electricity supply.

“All non-essential work has been postponed under Alert Level 4 and when we move to Alert Level 3 at 11.59pm tomorrow (Tuesday 31 August) we will have a reduced work programme. Minimising disruption to our customers is a priority, and we are working with electricity retailers to notify customers about cancellations of planned outages. We will make sure retailers are advised of rescheduled dates 10 business days in advance and the retailers will then let customers know.”

“Under Alert Level 3 we can resume work that will have minimum customer impact,” Mr Fletcher said. “We are aware that many people will still be working and schooling at home and are very sensitive to this when planning our work. In cases where we need to temporarily turn power off in order to do necessary work, we will keep interruptions to a minimum and ensure that any affected customers are notified in advance.”

The final phase of the Harbour Crossing project can also continue safely under Alert Level 3 as no customers will be affected by the work. The project will see the removal of the overhead power lines and towers that run from Port Chalmers to Portobello and replaced with three new submarine cables that are already in service. The project will resume next week with helicopter work on select days.

Aurora Energy will resume business as usual under Alert Levels 2 and 1, and will continue to respond to emergency faults under all alert levels. Below is what the work programme looks like at each alert level.

Mr Fletcher said Aurora Energy is well-prepared to manage the impact of Covid-19 alert levels and their pandemic response plan is designed to ensure the essential service of electricity is maintained, while staff are kept safe.

“If you see our contractor crews in the community, please keep a safe distance and continue to act safely around electricity equipment,” he said.

Customers can visit the Aurora Energy website for the latest outage information www.auroraenergy.co.nz or call the customer experience team 24/7 on 0800 22 00 05 for information or to report fallen power lines or damaged electrical equipment.

Work programme

ENDS

For further information contact Aurora Energy External Relations Team, 03 742 0931

Aurora Energy is New Zealand’s seventh largest electricity network by customer connections, supplying electricity to 91,000 homes, farms and businesses in Dunedin, Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes. Aurora Energy Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dunedin City Holdings Limited, owned by the Dunedin City Council.