Your guide to New Zealand's electricity network
Poles, wires, transformers and outage maps: the 29 lines companies that physically deliver power to every Kiwi home, what they charge, who covers your address and what to do when the lights go out.
The Kiwi lines guide, refreshed for 2026.
29
Lines companies nationwide
170k+
Kilometres of distribution lines
30-45%
Share of your bill in lines charges
99.96%
Average network reliability
The network hub
Explore New Zealand's electricity network
Lines companies, network charges, outage maps and how power physically reaches your home: everything you need to understand the wires behind your bill.
All 29 NZ lines companies
From Top Energy in the Far North to The Power Company in Southland: every regional distribution network mapped, with direct links to dedicated guides for Vector, Powerco, Orion, Aurora and the rest.
Lines vs Retailer
Why your retailer can't fix outages and what each layer of your bill pays for.
Network Charges
How distribution and transmission costs flow through to your monthly bill.
Schemes & Grants
Warmer Kiwi Homes, Winter Energy Payment and the green home loans that soften your network bill.
Transpower & the Grid
The high-voltage backbone that moves power from generators to lines companies.
Where your kWh comes from
Renewable mix & the network
The major lines companies
Who owns the poles and wires in your region
Twenty-nine distribution networks share New Zealand. The five below cover the bulk of urban customers; the rest are regional or rural cooperatives. Call your lines company, not your retailer, during an outage.
Ownership models
Vector
Auckland & NorthlandNZ's largest electricity distributor, serving 580,000+ connections in Auckland and parts of Northland. Listed on the NZX.
Powerco
Taranaki, Manawatu, BoPSecond-largest by customer count, serving 350,000+ connections across Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa and the western Bay of Plenty.
Wellington Electricity
Wellington capital regionDistributes electricity to 168,000 homes and businesses in Wellington City, Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kapiti Coast.
Orion
Christchurch & CanterburyCouncil-owned distributor for 200,000+ connections across Christchurch, Selwyn and the central Canterbury plains.
Aurora Energy
Otago & Queenstown LakesOwned by Dunedin City Council. Delivers electricity to 92,000 homes and businesses in Dunedin, Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes.
The full network map
The other 24 NZ lines companies, by island
The five biggest networks sit in the leaderboard above. Below are the remaining regional and rural distributors that share the rest of New Zealand. Each link opens a dedicated guide with coverage, 24/7 fault number and household playbook.
North Island · 12 networks
- Top Energy Far North — Kaitaia, Kerikeri
- Northpower Whangārei + mid-Northland
- Counties Energy South Auckland — Pukekohe, Waiuku
- WEL Networks Hamilton + greater Waikato
- Waipa Networks Cambridge, Te Awamutu
- The Lines Company King Country — Taumarunui, Te Kuiti
- Unison Hawke's Bay + Rotorua + Taupo
- Horizon Networks Eastern Bay of Plenty — Whakatāne
- Centralines Central Hawke's Bay — Waipawa
- Scanpower Tararua — Dannevirke, Woodville
- Firstlight Network Tairāwhiti / Gisborne
- Electra Kapiti + Horowhenua
South Island · 12 networks
- Marlborough Lines Marlborough — Blenheim, Picton
- Nelson Electricity Nelson CBD only
- Network Tasman Tasman Bays, Motueka, Golden Bay
- Buller Electricity Westport + Buller district
- Westpower West Coast — Greymouth, Hokitika
- MainPower North Canterbury — Rangiora, Kaikoura
- EA Networks Mid-Canterbury — Ashburton, Methven
- Alpine Energy South Canterbury — Timaru, Mackenzie
- Network Waitaki North Otago — Oamaru, Waitaki Valley
- OtagoNet Rural Otago JV network
- Electricity Invercargill Invercargill City CBD + suburbs
- The Power Company Southland province ex-Invercargill
From plug to power station
How electricity reaches your home
Three layers stand between a hydro turbine in the South Island and the kettle in your kitchen. Each is run by a different operator.
Generation
Hydro dams, geothermal fields, wind farms and a shrinking thermal fleet produce electricity. The big four gentailers plus independents feed the grid.
Transmission
Transpower runs the high-voltage national grid: 12,000+ km of lines and the HVDC link between the North and South Islands.
Distribution
Twenty-nine lines companies own the local poles, wires and transformers that step voltage down and deliver power to your meter.
Popular network guides
Our most-read articles on outages, lines companies and what to do when the power dies.
Best solar buy-back rates
Which retailer values your rooftop solar exports through your network.
Outages in Auckland
Vector's coverage area, fault numbers and storm-response playbook.
Outages in Wellington
Wellington Electricity faults, restoration ETAs and surge cover.
Outages in Christchurch
Orion network status, council-owned trust model and how to claim.
Built for Kiwi households
Editorial network guides you can trust
Our NZ team curates every page on this hub, cross-checking lines-company filings to the Commerce Commission and Electricity Authority disclosures against Selectra's decade of energy market expertise across 16+ countries. No promoted hotlines, no affiliate-only ranking: just clear, sourced information so Kiwi households know exactly who to call when the lights go out.
29
Distribution networks mapped
16+
Countries Selectra operates in
10+ years
Of energy market expertise
The Selectra expert answers your questions
A lines company (also called a distribution network or EDB) owns the poles, wires, transformers and substations that physically deliver electricity from the national grid to your home or business. In New Zealand there are 29 lines companies: some are listed (Vector), some are council-owned (Orion, Aurora), and others are consumer trusts that return profits to local customers as annual dividends.
Your electricity bill mixes two unrelated services: the energy (sold by your retailer, like Genesis or Mercury) and the delivery (handled by your lines company). Roughly 30 to 45 per cent of your monthly bill is the network charge, passed through by the retailer. Only the lines company can restore supply during an outage — retailers have no crews and no wires.
Always call your lines company, not your retailer. They run 24/7 fault lines and monitor the network in real time. Vector answers on 0508 832 867 for Auckland, Wellington Electricity on 0800 248 148 for the capital, Orion on 0800 363 9898 for Christchurch, and so on (the leaderboard above lists each one). If you see a fallen line, sparks or smoke, call 111 first.
The leaderboard above shows the five biggest networks by reach; the directory section maps the remaining 24. You can also check the network code on any past power bill: it identifies the lines company that owns the wires up to your meter. Auckland is Vector, Wellington is Wellington Electricity, Christchurch is Orion, Dunedin and Queenstown are Aurora Energy, Hamilton is WEL Networks, and so on.
No. Lines companies are regional monopolies regulated by the Commerce Commission, which caps how much they can charge and penalises poor performance. You can switch your electricity retailer as often as you like, but the lines company is fixed by where you live. The network charge on your bill stays the same regardless of which retailer you choose.