By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres, keep clear of any line lying across a flooded paddock or driveway, and call 111 first. After an Eastern Bay storm a downed conductor can be hidden in surface water or fallen branches, so 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.
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.
Horizon Networks
Whakatane and the Eastern Bay of Plenty
Dial 0800 HORIZON. 24/7 faults line.
Coverage: Whakatane, Ohope, Edgecumbe, Te Teko, Taneatua, Awakeri, Matata, Murupara and the surrounding Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Why the Eastern Bay loses power
Three things that knock out Whakatane supply
Horizon Networks runs a largely overhead network across coast, river flats and bush. The same three patterns drive most local outages and set how long a crew takes to reach you.
East-coast storms
Whakatane, Ohope and Matata: easterly and ex-tropical systems hit the coast first. Wind-driven branches and salt spray on overhead conductors are the most common cause of a sudden cut here.
River-flat flooding
Edgecumbe, Te Teko, the Rangitaiki plains: heavy rain pools on low farmland. Surface water around pole bases and pad-mount gear forces crews to isolate feeders for safety before they can restore.
Long rural feeders
Taneatua, Awakeri, Murupara: long overhead spurs serve scattered homes through bush and hill country. One fault can darken a small cluster for hours because crews travel further to find and clear it.
Whakatane-specific tip
After a coastal blow, check the Horizon Networks live map before you call: it shows whether your street is inside a known fault zone and, increasingly, an estimated restoration time. If the map shows nothing near you but your neighbours are also dark, that is exactly the moment a fresh report on 0800 467 496 adds value.
Fried fridge or heat pump? How to recover the cost in Whakatane
Horizon Networks does not publish a standing online damage-claim portal, so for a surge that kills an appliance the practical path runs through your own cover rather than a network form. Most Eastern Bay outages are weather-driven, which lines companies treat as force majeure and exclude from direct claims.
- 1Call 0800 467 496 and ask for the incident number, the time and the cause. You will need it whichever way you claim.
- 2Lodge the loss with your contents insurer. Most NZ policies cover power-surge damage and spoiled food, often with a sub-limit of NZ$200 to NZ$500 for fridge and freezer contents.
- 3Send a written request to your retailer as well, quoting the incident number, photos and a registered electrician's report. They can escalate it to Horizon if the cause was network equipment rather than weather.
- 4Allow 4 to 8 weeks. Appliances under 5 years with the original receipt fare best. Storm-driven outages are usually excluded, so contents insurance is your strongest route after a coastal event.
Whakatane-specific questions
Frequently asked questions: Whakatane outages
Horizon Networks, 24 hours a day, on 0800 467 496 (0800 HORIZON). The same line covers Whakatane, Ohope, Edgecumbe, Te Teko and the wider Eastern Bay of Plenty. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
Check the Horizon Networks live outage map, which plots active and planned faults across the Eastern Bay and updates through the day. The community map further up this page also shows what Selectra readers near you are reporting in real time. If neither shows anything but your street is dark, you are likely the first to notice: call the fault line so a crew can be sent.
A single fault on a town feeder in Whakatane or Ohope is usually back inside 1 to 2 hours. Rural spurs around Taneatua, Awakeri or Murupara can run longer because crews travel further. A major coastal storm or river-flat flood event can push the worst-affected farmland properties to half a day or more while feeders are isolated for safety.
Edgecumbe and the Rangitaiki plains sit on low river flats. When heavy rain pools around poles, pad-mount transformers and roadside gear, Horizon must isolate affected feeders before crews can safely work. That protective step, not the rain alone, is often why supply stays off until the water recedes.
Yes. Planned maintenance outages are notified in advance, typically by letter or email to the property and listed on the live outage map under planned work. If someone in your home is medically dependent on power (oxygen, dialysis, CPAP), register with your retailer so you get proactive notice and a contingency plan.
Most Eastern Bay outages are weather-driven and excluded from a direct network claim. Your strongest route is your contents insurance, which usually covers power-surge damage and spoiled food. Keep the incident number from 0800 467 496, photos and the original receipt, and send a written request to your retailer too in case the cause was network equipment rather than the storm.
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.