By Fallen line or hazard
Stay back at least 8 metres, keep clear of any standing water near a downed line, and call 111 first. In dry summer conditions a line on the ground over tinder-dry tussock or orchard cover is also a fire risk, so treat the whole area as dangerous until crews arrive.
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 town. 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
Only the lines company that owns the poles and wires in your street can dispatch a crew. Call the number below if your report shows the outage is on the network.
AE
Aurora Energy
Cromwell, Alexandra and Clyde, one lines company
24/7 faults line. Same number as Dunedin and Queenstown: ask the operator to route to the Cromwell or Alexandra depot.
Coverage: Cromwell, Bannockburn, Pisa Moorings, Alexandra, Clyde, Earnscleugh, Omakau, Roxburgh, Ranfurly and the Manuherikia and Clutha valley orchards.
The dryland network
What drives Cromwell, Alexandra and Clyde outages
Central Otago swings between the hottest and the coldest extremes in the country, and the rural overhead network feels both. Three local patterns dominate the outage register.
Summer heat and load
Cromwell, Bannockburn and Alexandra regularly top New Zealand's summer temperature charts. Sustained heat over 35 degrees pushes air-conditioning and irrigation pumping load high, and conductor sag on long rural spans rises in the hottest part of the afternoon.
Hard frosts and snow
Clyde, Earnscleugh and the Ida Valley record some of the country's hardest frosts, and the Pisa and Dunstan ranges hold winter snow. Freezing fog and ice loading on overhead conductors can trip feeders, and access is slow when rural roads ice over.
Long rural feeders
Outside the town centres, supply runs along long overhead spurs to orchards and lifestyle blocks. Omakau, Roxburgh and Ranfurly sit at the end of those feeders, so a single fault out in the open country can take longer to find and restore than a town fault.
A Central Otago tip
Because the worst outages here are weather-driven and rural, a small backup matters more than in a city. A charged power bank, a battery radio and a way to keep one room warm through a frosty night make a multi-hour rural outage far easier to ride out. Orchard and vineyard operators with frost-fighting fans should confirm their changeover arrangements before each frost season.
Surge damage after a Central Otago outage: how to claim
Aurora Energy does not publish a dedicated household damage-claim portal for Central Otago, so the realistic path for an appliance damaged by a power surge runs through your own insurance and your retailer. Keep it factual and documented.
- 1Call 0800 22 00 05 and ask for the incident reference, the time the fault started and any known cause (conductor clash, transformer fault, vehicle into a pole).
- 2Lodge a contents insurance claim for the surge-damaged appliance, with photos, the original receipt and a registered electrician's report.
- 3Send a short written request to your electricity retailer as well, quoting the incident reference, so they can pass it to Aurora if network negligence is suspected.
- 4Expect 4 to 8 weeks. Appliances under 5 years old with proof of purchase fare best. Frost and snow events are usually deemed weather rather than negligence.
Central Otago questions
Frequently asked questions: Central Otago outages
Aurora Energy, on 0800 22 00 05, 24 hours a day. The same number covers Cromwell, Alexandra, Clyde and the surrounding valleys. For a hazard such as a fallen line, dial 111 first.
Check the live community map above for outages reported nearby, then confirm against Aurora's own live outage map, which lists active and planned outages by street. If neighbours are also off supply, the fault is on the network and Aurora crews are likely already aware.
A single fault in Cromwell, Alexandra or Clyde town: 45 to 90 minutes. Rural spurs to orchards and lifestyle blocks around Omakau, Roxburgh or the Ida Valley: 2 to 4 hours, longer when frost or snow closes access roads. A wider weather event can run to several hours while crews work down a long feeder.
The climate is the most extreme inland in the country. In summer, heat above 35 degrees raises load and conductor sag on long rural lines. In winter, hard frosts, freezing fog and snow on the Pisa and Dunstan ranges load and ice the conductors. The rural overhead network is exposed to both, which is why the outage pattern looks different from a milder coastal town.
Yes. Aurora notifies affected properties ahead of planned maintenance, and the same upcoming work is listed on the live outage map under planned outages. If someone in the household is medically dependent on power, register with your retailer so Aurora can give proactive notice and confirm a contingency plan.
The practical route is your own contents insurance, supported by a written request to your electricity retailer quoting the Aurora incident reference. Aurora does not publish a household claims portal for Central Otago. Keep photos, the receipt and a registered electrician's report. Appliances under 5 years old fare best, and decisions typically take 4 to 8 weeks. Frost and snow damage is usually treated as weather, not negligence.
Nearby outage guides
Power outages across Otago
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 Otago.
See the regional hub: Otago power outages, or browse every New Zealand region.