At Aurora Energy, we’re doing a lot of work to upgrade the electricity network in Dunedin, Central Otago/Wānaka and Queenstown Lakes. Our increased work programme means an increase in planned power outages to keep our customers, staff and contractors safe while doing the work.
To report a power outage please call us 24/7 on 0800 22 00 05
Frequently asked questions
Our team are always monitoring the network for faults and outages. But if the power goes out in your area, and it's not mentioned on our outages map, please contact us on 0800 22 00 05.
In the meantime, turn off your appliances and electrical equipment – some can be a fire hazard and others might be damaged when the power comes back on.
Check the circuit breakers and/or fuses on your switchboard to see if they are still working. If not, contact your electricity retailer to report the fault. If your meter is working, contact Aurora Energy 24/7 on 0800 22 00 05 to report the fault.
Please note, if your lights are flickering, you can call us in the first instance but if it’s an issue within your property, you may be referred to your electrician because you own and are responsible for any customer service lines and the internal wiring inside your property.
Also note that single premises outages are not shown on the Aurora Energy website outages page.
Planned outages are sometimes required while we work on the network, to ensure the safety of both the public and our contractors.
We understand that power outages can be inconvenient. If you will be affected by a planned outage, your electricity retailer will notify you in advance, so you can plan ahead and make alternative arrangements.
From time-to-time Aurora Energy, or one of our contractors, will notify you directly for low voltage outages less than 10 working days in advance.
Please be aware that the restoration times for planned and unplanned outages are estimates. When the power goes out, it may not come back on all at once. Some areas may have power restored before others.
Note that planned power outage times may vary slightly from those notified. And if work finishes ahead of schedule, we may restore power earlier for customers who have been out all day. This may mean that short ‘transfer’ outages could happen earlier than the times notified.
We only display outages that affect multiple customers on the website. If there's an outage that affects just one customer, it won't be shown here.
Sometimes we’re unable to proceed with work on the day of the planned power outage due to events beyond our control such as extreme weather. Because work is often cancelled at short notice, we will not be able to let you know directly and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Please check our outages page the day of the planned power outage in case of a late cancellation. We will let your retailer know 10 business days before any rescheduled date, and they’ll let you know.
If it’s not a planned outage, there are a number of things that can cause the power to go out at your place including:
- A vehicle hitting a power pole
- Birds flying into power lines
- Possums climbing power poles
- Tree branches contacting overhead lines
- Items blown by the wind into power lines
- Extreme weather
- Natural disasters
- An emergency that requires the power to be turned off so Emergency Services can safely respond and make the area safe for the public
Electricity networks have built‑in protective systems - similar to circuit breakers but on a much larger scale. These systems constantly monitor the network for anything unsafe. If they detect something unusual, such as a fault, a sudden surge, a tree touching the line, equipment failure, or an object making contact, they automatically switch the power off. This is called a safety trip.
Common reasons a safety trip might occur include:
· Debris or trees contacting power lines (e.g. when it's windy)
· Vehicle accidents involving power poles or lines
· Animals coming into contact with the network
· Sudden equipment failures
· Electrical faults anywhere along the lines
When this happens, the protection system switches off the power instantly, often before our control room has all the details or before our outage map can update. This is why an outage may sometimes appear as “unknown” or “under investigation".
Why safety tripping is actually a good thing:
A safety trip helps prevent:
· Electricity flowing into a dangerous situation
· Potential line fires
· People coming into contact with live wires
· More serious equipment damage that would take longer to repair
Why some outages stay ‘unknown’ even after investigation
Sometimes a safety trip is caused by something temporary, like a branch brushing the line, an animal, or a momentary fault. These hazards can clear themselves before crews arrive, leaving no physical evidence of what triggered the outage.
In these cases, we can’t always confirm the exact cause, even days later. What we can confirm is that the system operated exactly as designed to keep customers, crews, and the network safe.
We only display outages that affect multiple customers on the website. If there's an outage that affects just one customer, it won't be shown there.
Also, from time-to-time, we, or our contractors will directly notify customers of a small localised planned outages with less than 10 working days advanced notice and these outages may not be represented on the website.
We know power outages are inconvenient and we notify you in advance so you can plan ahead and make alternative arrangements. We do not compensate customers for planned outages. You can find information about back-up power generation here.
If you have damage to electrical equipment or appliances you believe is a result of an unplanned power outage, we recommend contacting your insurance company in the first instance.
We generally do not accept responsibility for any damage to electrical equipment or appliances caused by an unplanned power outage, power surges, or unbalanced voltage.
You can find information on how to protect your electronics here: Preparing for power outages (auroraenergy.co.nz)
During spring and autumn, we conduct essential maintenance on our subtransmission network. This is the power lines and cables that connect main substations in different areas, such as from Cromwell to Wanaka, Clyde to Alexandra, Queenstown to Frankton, and various suburbs in Dunedin. We schedule this maintenance outside of peak demand times, like winter heating and summer irrigation.
In most locations, there are two lines. While one line is taken out for maintenance, the other line remains in service and can handle the full power load. However, this does mean there is reduced security of supply. If an issue arises with the second line, it could result in a widespread power outage in the area. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen often. Rest assured, if it does, our team is on standby 24/7 to restore power as quickly as possible.
If you’d like to learn more about what’s involved in restoring power after a fault, click here.