By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres and call 111 first. After a storm a downed conductor can be hidden in flood water, fallen branches or long grass on a rural Northland road, so keep clear and treat every loose line as live.
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.
Northland power outage: two lines companies
Which lines company covers your town
Northland is split between two networks. The Far North is on Top Energy; Whangarei and Kaipara are on Northpower. Match your town to the right card below, then call that 24/7 fault line if the map shows the outage is on the network. The same numbers apply whether you searched top energy power outage northland, northpower outage or just power outage near me.
TE
Top Energy
The Far North
24/7 faults line for the whole Far North district north of the Hokianga and Bay of Islands.
Coverage: Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe, Paihia, Kawakawa, Mangonui, Doubtless Bay and the rural Far North feeders.
N
Northpower
Whangarei and Kaipara
24/7 faults line for Whangarei city and the rural Kaipara network.
Coverage: Whangarei, Dargaville, Maungaturoto, Ruakaka, Waipu, Hikurangi and the wider Whangarei and Kaipara districts.
Why Northland loses power
Three reasons the lights go out across the North
Northland is a long, narrow region with the country's most cyclone-exposed coastline and a high share of rural overhead lines. The patterns below shape both how often the power goes off and how long each network takes to bring it back.
Tropical storms
Far North and the east coast: ex-cyclones and tropical lows arrive here first and hardest. High wind, heavy rain and slips bring multiple lines down at once, which is why Northland sees some of the longest restoration times in the country.
Long rural feeders
Kaipara, the Hokianga, rural Far North: small communities hang off long single overhead lines through farmland and bush. A single fault out on a spur can darken a cluster of homes for hours because crews must drive a long way to find and clear it.
Salt and coast
Whangarei Heads, the Bay of Islands, Dargaville coast: salt spray corrodes overhead insulators and switchgear on both networks. Reliability dips after dry spells because corrosion concentrates before the next heavy rain washes the lines clean.
Northland tip
Because the region is so storm-exposed, keep a charged power bank, a torch and a battery radio ready through the wetter months. Confirm your network before you call: the Far North is Top Energy on 0800 867 363, while Whangarei and Kaipara are Northpower on 0800 10 40 40. If you are near the boundary around the Hokianga, check both live maps to see which one has plotted your street.
Northland damage claims
Fried fridge or heat pump? How to claim after a Northland outage
Neither Top Energy nor Northpower runs a single household claims channel for appliance damage, and most Northland outages are weather-driven, which networks generally exclude from a direct claim. That makes your contents insurance, backed by a written request to your retailer, the realistic path after a surge or spoilage loss.
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1
Call your network for the incident number and recorded cause: Top Energy on 0800 867 363 in the Far North, or Northpower on 0800 10 40 40 around Whangarei and Kaipara;
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2
Photograph the damaged appliance, note its model and age, and find the original receipt if you can;
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3
Lodge surge damage and spoiled food with your contents insurer, where most policies carry a spoiled-food sub-limit and surge cover;
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4
Send a written request to your retailer with the incident number and a registered electrician's report if you believe the fault was network equipment rather than weather.
Northland rule of thumb
A claim that includes the incident number, a registered electrician's report and the original purchase receipt succeeds far more often than photos alone. Allow 4 to 8 weeks, and appliances under 5 years fare best. Storm and cyclone events are usually deemed weather, so contents insurance is the stronger route after the big northern blows.
By town
More Northland outage guides
Kaitaia and the Far North
Top Energy outages, fault line and local map.
Kerikeri and Bay of Islands
Top Energy outages for Kerikeri, Paihia and Kaikohe.
Whangarei
Northpower outages and fault line for the city.
Dargaville and Kaipara
Northpower outages for rural and coastal Kaipara.
Power outages in a neighbouring region: Auckland or Waikato, or every New Zealand region.
Northland questions
Frequently asked questions: Northland power outages
It depends on where you live. The Far North is on Top Energy, 24/7 on 0800 867 363, covering Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and the Bay of Islands. Whangarei and Kaipara are on Northpower, 24/7 on 0800 10 40 40, covering Whangarei and Dargaville. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
No. The Far North district, from Kaitaia and Kerikeri through Kaikohe, sits on Top Energy, while Whangarei city and the Kaipara district around Dargaville sit on Northpower. They are two separate lines companies with separate 24/7 fault lines and separate outage maps, so confirm which one covers your street before you call.
Check the live outage map for your network: Top Energy in the Far North, or Northpower around Whangarei and Kaipara. The community map higher up this page also shows real-time reports from Selectra readers near you. If your street is dark and nothing is mapped on your network, call that fault line so a crew can be sent.
Northland is the most cyclone-exposed region in the country, and ex-tropical storms arrive here first. Add long rural overhead feeders, coastal salt corrosion and hilly bush country, and a single storm can bring down many lines at once. That is why restoration in the worst-hit rural areas can take longer here than in most cities.
A single fault on an urban Whangarei or Kerikeri feeder is often back inside 1 to 2 hours. Rural Far North and Kaipara spurs on long lines can run longer, and a major storm or ex-cyclone can push the worst-affected rural properties to a day or more while crews work through multiple faults.
Neither Top Energy nor Northpower runs a single household appliance-claims channel, and most Northland outages are weather-driven and excluded from a direct network claim. Your realistic path is your contents insurance for surge and spoilage losses, plus a written request to your retailer. Keep the incident number, photos, the original receipt and a registered electrician's report to support it.