Lines company
MainPower power outages
MainPower owns and maintains the poles and wires across 1 network reporting region. In a power cut they are who sends a crew — not the company that bills you.
Power out in the MainPower area?
Call MainPower — not your power company.
0800 30 90 80MainPower's faults line, 24 hours.
This page does not show live outages. MainPower's own map has what is out right now and the estimated restoration time.
Downed line, sparking or fire? Call 111 first.
Stay at least 10 metres away and keep others back. Treat every fallen line as live.
Coverage
What MainPower covers
- Network reporting region
- North Canterbury (MainPower NZ)
- Places we list
- 7
- Faults line
- 0800 30 90 80
The Electricity Authority splits New Zealand into network reporting regions, and each one has a single lines company. If your bill names MainPower as the distributor or lines company, this is your network — whichever power company you buy from.
Towns and suburbs
Places on the MainPower network
MainPower outages — common questions
What is MainPower's faults number?
0800 30 90 80, 24 hours a day. MainPower owns and maintains the lines, so they are who to call in a power cut, not the company that bills you. If you can see a downed line, sparking, or anything on fire, call 111 first and stay at least 10 metres away. Treat every fallen line as live.
What area does MainPower cover?
MainPower runs the North Canterbury (MainPower NZ) network reporting region. Of the places we list, that includes Amberley, Hanmer Springs, Kaiapoi, Kaikoura, Oxford, Rangiora and Woodend. If your power bill names MainPower as the lines company, this is your network.
Does MainPower have an outage map?
Yes — https://www.mainpower.co.nz/outages. It shows current faults, the properties affected and an estimated restoration time once crews have assessed the damage. This page does not show live outages. For what is out right now and when power is due back, use the distributor's own outage map or call their faults line.
Why do I call MainPower and not my power company?
Because they are different businesses doing different jobs. Your power company buys electricity and bills you for it; the lines company owns the poles, wires and transformers it arrives through. A fault is a network problem, so MainPower is who dispatches a crew. Calling your retailer usually just adds a step, because they pass the report to MainPower anyway.
Can I choose a different lines company in the MainPower area?
No. Lines companies are regional monopolies, which is why they are price-regulated rather than competitive. Everyone on the MainPower network pays MainPower's lines charges no matter which power company they are with. What you can choose is the retailer, and with it the energy and service part of the bill, which is the part that varies.
You cannot choose MainPower. You can choose who bills you.
Lines companies are regional monopolies, which is why they are price-regulated rather than competitive. The retail half of your bill is not — compare 8 power companies and see what they offer at your address.
Compare power companies