By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres and call 111 first. On the plateau a line can be brought down by snow load, ice or a fallen pine, and may be hard to see in poor weather, so keep clear and treat every loose conductor 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.
Unable to load outage data. Please try again later.
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.
Power outage Taupo: two lines companies
Which lines company covers your town
The Taupo district is split between two networks. Taupo town and the northern lake are on Unison; Turangi and the south are on The Lines Company. Match your town to the right card, then call that 24/7 fault line if your report shows the outage is on the network.
U
Unison
Taupo town and the northern lake
24/7 faults line for Taupo town, the northern lakefront and Unison's central plateau network.
Coverage: Taupo town, Acacia Bay, Kinloch, Wharewaka, Nukuhau, Hilltop, Richmond Heights and the northern lakefront.
The Lines Company
Turangi and the south
24/7 faults line for Turangi, Tokaanu and the King Country fringe.
Coverage: Turangi, Tokaanu, Motuoapa, Kuratau, Omori, Pukawa and the southern King Country approaches.
Why the plateau loses power
Three things that knock out Taupo and Turangi supply
The central plateau is high, cold and exposed, with long overhead lines through forestry and tussock. The patterns below shape both why the power goes off and how long each network takes to bring it back.
Snow and ice
Turangi, Tokaanu, the desert road fringe: the high plateau gets genuine winter snow and ice. Loading on conductors and frozen switchgear cause outages that town grids further north rarely see.
Forestry and tree fall
Kinloch, the King Country fringe, rural Turangi: overhead lines thread through plantation pine. Wind events bring trees and branches onto conductors, one of the most common faults across both networks.
Long rural feeders
Southern lake settlements and rural blocks: communities such as Kuratau and Omori hang off long single feeders. One fault can darken a cluster of homes for hours because crews must travel to find and clear it.
Taupo and Turangi tip
Before you call, confirm which network you are on, because the two run separate fault lines and separate maps. Taupo town sits with Unison on 0800 286 476; Turangi and the south sit with The Lines Company on 0800 367 328. If you are unsure near the boundary, check both live maps to see which one has plotted your street.
Taupo and Turangi damage claims
Fried fridge or heat pump? Claiming on either plateau network
The path differs by network. The Lines Company publishes a formal claim and investigation process, while Unison surge or spoilage losses are usually handled through your own cover and your retailer. Weather-driven outages, which most plateau events are, are typically excluded from a direct network claim.
Unison (Taupo town)
- · Call 0800 286 476 and request the incident number and cause;
- · Lodge surge damage and spoiled food with your contents insurer;
- · Send a written request to your retailer with photos and a registered electrician's report to escalate equipment-caused faults.
Snow and storm events are usually excluded as weather, so contents insurance is the stronger route after a winter outage.
The Lines Company (Turangi)
- · Call 0800 367 328 for the incident number;
- · Use the formal claim and investigation process;
- · Include photos, appliance receipts and a registered electrician's report.
Equipment-caused faults have the best success rate; snow and tree-fall events are usually deemed weather rather than negligence.
Plateau rule of thumb
Whichever network you are on, 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.
Taupo and Turangi questions
Frequently asked questions: Taupo and Turangi outages
It depends on your town. Taupo town and the northern lake are on Unison, 24/7 on 0800 286 476. Turangi and the south are on The Lines Company, 24/7 on 0800 367 328. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
No. Taupo town, Acacia Bay and Kinloch sit on Unison, while Turangi, Tokaanu and the southern lake settlements sit on The Lines Company. 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: Unison for Taupo town, or The Lines Company for Turangi. 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.
Turangi sits on the high central plateau, where genuine snow and ice load conductors and freeze switchgear. The Lines Company also runs long overhead feeders through forestry, so wind and tree fall add to the winter risk. Both are why southern lake outages can be more frequent and longer than in Taupo town.
A single fault on a Taupo town feeder is often back inside 1 to 2 hours. Rural and southern lake settlements on long feeders can run longer, and a snow or major storm event on the plateau can push the worst-affected properties to half a day or more while lines are cleared and repaired.
On The Lines Company network around Turangi you can use the formal claim and investigation process. On Unison around Taupo town, surge and spoilage losses usually go through your contents insurance plus a written request to your retailer. Either way, keep the incident number, photos, the original receipt and a registered electrician's report; weather-driven events are generally excluded.
Nearby outage guides
Power outages across the Bay of Plenty
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 the Bay of Plenty.
See the regional hub: Bay of Plenty power outages, or browse every New Zealand region.