By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres and call 111 first. Across the Waikato a conductor can be brought down by fog-laden branches, flooding on the plains or a fallen shelterbelt, and may be hard to see, 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.
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 Waikato: four lines companies
Which lines company covers your town
The Waikato is divided between four networks. Match your town to the right card below, then call that 24/7 fault line if the community map shows the outage is on the network rather than your own switchboard.
WN
WEL Networks
Hamilton and the north
24/7 faults line for Hamilton city and the northern Waikato towns.
Coverage: Hamilton, Huntly, Ngaruawahia, Te Kauwhata, Raglan, Taupiri and the north Waikato.
Waipa Networks
Cambridge and Te Awamutu
24/7 faults line for the Waipa district.
Coverage: Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, Pirongia, Ohaupo and the surrounding Waipa farmland.
P
Powerco
Eastern Waikato and Coromandel
24/7 faults line for the eastern dairy towns and the Thames-Coromandel network.
Coverage: Matamata, Morrinsville, Tokoroa, Putaruru, Thames, Paeroa, Waihi and Whitianga.
The Lines Company
King Country and Turangi
24/7 faults line for the King Country and the southern plateau approaches.
Coverage: Te Kuiti, Otorohanga, Taumarunui, Turangi, Ohakune and the rural King Country.
Why the Waikato loses power
Three things that knock out Waikato supply
The Waikato mixes a dense Hamilton grid with long rural feeders across dairy country and into the hill country of the King Country. The patterns below shape both why the power goes off and how long each network takes to restore it.
Rural feeders and shelterbelts
Waipa farmland, eastern dairy towns, the King Country: long overhead lines run beside paddocks and tall shelterbelts. Wind brings branches across conductors, and crews must travel out to find and clear the fault before power returns.
Fog and flooding on the plains
Hamilton, Huntly, the river plains: the low-lying Waikato basin floods after heavy rain and sits under thick winter fog. Both load equipment and complicate access, slowing repairs on the flat northern feeders.
Hill country and forestry
Tokoroa, Putaruru, the King Country: lines thread through plantation pine and steep terrain. Tree fall and harder access mean outages on these feeders can take longer to find and fix than in town.
Waikato tip
Because four networks share the region, confirm yours before you call. Hamilton and the north are WEL Networks on 0800 800 935; Cambridge and Te Awamutu are Waipa Networks on 0800 800 769; the eastern towns are Powerco on 0800 27 27 27; and the King Country is The Lines Company on 0800 367 328.
Waikato damage claims
Fried fridge or heat pump? How to claim after a Waikato outage
Most Waikato networks do not run a single household appliance-claims channel, and weather-driven outages are generally excluded from a direct network claim. The Lines Company is the exception, publishing a formal claim and investigation process for its King Country network. For everyone else, your contents insurance backed by a written request to your retailer is the realistic path.
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1
Call your network for the incident number and recorded cause, choosing WEL Networks, Waipa Networks, Powerco or The Lines Company depending on your town;
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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
On The Lines Company network in the King Country, use the formal claim and investigation process; elsewhere lodge surge and spoilage losses with your contents insurer;
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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.
Waikato 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.
By town
More Waikato outage guides
Hamilton
WEL Networks outages and fault line for the city.
Cambridge
Waipa Networks outages and local map.
Te Awamutu
Waipa Networks outages for the Waipa south.
Huntly and Ngaruawahia
WEL Networks outages for the north Waikato.
Matamata
Powerco outages for Matamata-Piako.
Morrinsville
Powerco outages for Matamata-Piako.
Tokoroa
Powerco outages for South Waikato.
Thames-Coromandel
Powerco outages for the Coromandel Peninsula.
Power outages in a neighbouring region: Bay of Plenty, Taranaki or every New Zealand region.
Waikato questions
Frequently asked questions: Waikato power outages
It depends on your town. Hamilton and the north are WEL Networks, 24/7 on 0800 800 935. Cambridge and Te Awamutu are Waipa Networks on 0800 800 769. Matamata, Morrinsville and Tokoroa are Powerco on 0800 27 27 27. The King Country is The Lines Company on 0800 367 328. For a hazard, dial 111 first.
No. Hamilton sits on WEL Networks, while Cambridge and Te Awamutu sit on Waipa Networks. They are separate lines companies with separate 24/7 fault lines and separate outage maps, so confirm which one covers your street before you call. Searches for waipa power outage Cambridge point to Waipa Networks.
Check the live outage map for your network: WEL Networks for Hamilton and the north, Waipa Networks for Cambridge and Te Awamutu, Powerco for the eastern towns, or The Lines Company for the King Country. The community map higher up this page also shows real-time reports from Selectra readers near you.
Both Huntly and Ngaruawahia sit on WEL Networks, the same network as Hamilton, 24/7 on 0800 800 935. They are in the northern part of the WEL territory along the Waikato River, where flooding and fog can both contribute to outages.
A single fault on an urban Hamilton or Cambridge feeder is often back inside 1 to 2 hours. Rural feeders across dairy country and the King Country hills can run longer, and a major storm or flood event can push the worst-affected properties to half a day or more while crews work through multiple faults.
The Lines Company in the King Country publishes a formal claim and investigation process. WEL Networks, Waipa Networks and Powerco do not run a single household claims channel, so surge and spoilage losses usually go through your contents insurance plus a written request to your retailer. Keep the incident number, photos, the original receipt and a registered electrician's report.