By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres, keep clear of standing water near a downed line, and call 111 first. Rural Rodney and the Hibiscus Coast run overhead lines through trees, so a branch or a whole pole down is the most common hazard north of Albany.
Help your neighbours
Live community map & report a power cut
If neighbours are also without power, the fault is on the network, not your switchboard. The map below shows outages reported by other Selectra readers across New Zealand in real time. Use it as a first diagnostic before you call: if an active outage is already plotted near you, crews likely know about it. A short anonymous report helps others see what is happening in your suburb. It does not replace the call to your lines company.
Immediate danger
Fallen power line, sparks, burning smell or smoke? Call 111 before reporting anything else. Stay back at least 8 metres from any downed line.
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Report a power cut
Thanks: your report is recorded
Now make the official call to your lines company so a crew is dispatched. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
Who fixes the fault
Your lines company and its 24/7 fault line
The whole North Shore, Hibiscus Coast and Rodney sit on the Vector network. Only Vector can dispatch a crew to a fault on the poles, cables and substations in your area. Call the number below once your report shows the outage is on the network rather than your own switchboard.
V
Vector
North Shore, Hibiscus Coast and Rodney, one lines company
Or dial 0508 VECTOR. Available 24/7.
Coverage: Silverdale, Warkworth, Glenfield, Whangaparaoa, Orewa, Browns Bay, Albany, Devonport, Takapuna, Birkenhead, Northcote, Torbay, Long Bay, Stanmore Bay.
Why the Shore and the coast trip
What drives outages from Takapuna to Warkworth
North of the harbour bridge the network changes character as you travel: dense underground suburbs on the Shore, then longer overhead feeders out to the Hibiscus Coast and rural Rodney. Three patterns repeat each year.
Reliable Shore suburbs
Takapuna, Devonport, Glenfield, Northcote, Birkenhead: the established Shore is largely underground and among Vector's more reliable territory. Outages here tend to be switching faults or cable strikes during building work, and they restore quickly.
Hibiscus Coast growth
Silverdale, Orewa, Whangaparaoa, Stanmore Bay: fast residential growth out along the coast puts heavy demand on feeders, and the long peninsula run means a single fault can leave a stretch of the coast dark. Vector keeps reinforcing the area as the population climbs.
Rural Rodney overhead lines
Warkworth, Wainui, Kaukapakapa, lifestyle blocks: long overhead spurs run through bush and farmland to serve small numbers of homes. Wind and tree fall cause most rural outages, and access by truck takes time, so restoration is the slowest in the whole Vector territory here.
North Shore tip
Vector now publishes an estimated time of restoration on its outage map for the north-of-bridge feeders, including Albany, Long Bay and the Hibiscus Coast. The accuracy is good: trust the ETA shown, and only call back if it slips past by more than 2 hours. Out in rural Rodney, expect a longer window because crews travel further to reach a fault.
Vector damage claim: process and realistic outcomes
A surge on restoration can take out a heat pump, TV or modem. Vector accepts appliance damage claims when the fault was on its network and a registered electrician links the failure to the event.
- 1Call 0508 832 867 and ask for the incident number. Note the time, the duration and any visible cause (a branch on a line, a pole down, a switching event).
- 2Lodge the claim at vector.co.nz/claims within 30 days of the event.
- 3Attach photos, the appliance model and age, the original receipt if you have it, and a registered electrician's report. Vector reimburses the electrician's fee (typically NZ$80 to NZ$150) when the claim is upheld.
- 4Decision in 20 to 40 working days. Equipment and switching faults have the best success rate. Storm-driven outages in rural Rodney and on the Hibiscus Coast are usually treated as weather, so your contents insurance may be the better path.
North Shore questions
Frequently asked questions: North Shore outages
Vector, 24 hours a day, on 0508 832 867 (or 0508 VECTOR). The same number covers the whole North Shore, the Hibiscus Coast and rural Rodney: Silverdale, Whangaparaoa, Orewa, Warkworth, Glenfield, Albany, Devonport and Takapuna. For a fallen line or hazard, dial 111 first.
The established Shore (Takapuna, Devonport, Glenfield) is largely underground and stays reliable. As you head north into Orewa, Whangaparaoa and rural Rodney the line goes overhead through trees and runs in long peninsula feeders, so wind and tree fall cause more outages and the coast is harder for crews to reach. The further out you live, the longer restoration tends to take.
Yes. Warkworth and the surrounding rural Rodney area are part of Vector's territory, served by the same 24/7 fault line on 0508 832 867. Because the lines here are overhead and the properties are spread out, outages can run longer than in the dense Shore suburbs.
On the underground inner Shore, a single fault restores in 45 to 90 minutes. On the Hibiscus Coast a peninsula fault can take a few hours across a stretch of suburbs. In rural Rodney a tree-on-line or pole-down fault is the slowest, sometimes half a day, because crews and a tree team have to travel to reach it.
Probably not. If the streetlights and your neighbours still have power, the fault is on your side of the connection: your switchboard or an RCD that has tripped. Reset the trip switch first. If a whole street or block is out, that is a network fault and you should call Vector on 0508 832 867.
Yes, by letter or email at least 5 working days before the work, and the same planned outages appear on the live map filtered to "Planned". Network reinforcement on the growing Hibiscus Coast is a common cause of short planned outages. If you rely on a medical device, register with your retailer so Vector can give proactive notice.
Nearby outage guides
Power outages across Auckland
Same storm front, different lines company. If the cut reaches a neighbouring town, here is the right 24/7 fault line and live map for the rest of Auckland.
See the full Auckland outage guide, or browse every New Zealand region.