By Live 24/7 Counties Energy fault line
Power out in the Counties Energy network area?
Call Counties Energy on 0800 100 202, 24 hours a day. Your retailer cannot dispatch a crew. For a fallen line, sparks or any fire risk, dial 111 first, stay at least 8 metres clear, then ring Counties Energy.
The live network status is at www.countiesenergy.co.nz. Check it first, the cut may already be logged.
Counties Energy at a glance
The numbers behind your network bill
Connection points (ICPs)
~50,000
Franklin + southern Auckland
Network conductor
~3,800 km
Urban-rural mix
24/7 fault line
0800 100 202
Free-call
ComCom regulatory path
DPP4 2025-30
Default Price-Quality Path
Where Counties Energy owns the wires
Coverage: Franklin, southern Auckland and the Hauraki Plains
Counties Energy covers the Auckland-overflow corridor: Pukekohe, Tuakau, Waiuku, southern Papakura, and the Hauraki Plains across to Mangatangi.
| Area | Density profile | Network type |
|---|---|---|
| Pukekohe + Tuakau | Provincial urban, growth | Mixed, new builds underground |
| Franklin rural (Bombay, Patumahoe, Waiuku) | Rural + dairy + horticulture | Mostly overhead |
| Papakura south (boundary with Vector) | Suburban, growth corridor | Mixed |
| Hauraki Plains (Pokeno-Mercer, Mangatangi) | Dairy + lifestyle | Overhead |
| Awhitu peninsula | Coastal rural | Overhead, salt exposure |
Source: Counties Energy Asset Management Plan and Commerce Commission Information Disclosure. North of central Papakura the network is Vector; east toward Waikato is WEL Networks.
The role, decoded
What Counties Energy actually does (and does not do)
Counties Energy is a regulated electricity distributor: poles, wires, transformers, substations and the crews that maintain them. It is not a generator and not a retailer.
What Counties Energy owns and operates
- · Sub-transmission lines from Transpower grid exit points (GXPs).
- · 11kV and 22kV distribution feeders across the service area.
- · Distribution transformers and pillar boxes on your street.
- · Low-voltage service mains to your meter.
- · The 24/7 control room, fault crews and SCADA operations.
- · Network connection approvals (new builds, solar export, large EV chargers).
What Counties Energy does not do
- · Generate the electricity (gentailers and independents do).
- · Set the c/kWh rate on your bill (your retailer does).
- · Send you a monthly bill or take direct debits.
- · Own your smart meter: most are run by independent metering equipment providers (Intellihub, SmartCo, Metrix).
- · Manage retail plans, fixed terms or loyalty credits.
The hidden 30 to 45 per cent
How the Counties Energy lines charge shows up on your bill
Roughly 30 to 45 per cent of your retail bill is the Counties Energy lines pass-through, collected by your retailer and paid through. It has a fixed daily component, a variable energy component, and a time-of-use overlay.
| Component | Standard user | Low user | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed daily charge | ~80 to 130 c/day | ~15 to 30 c/day (capped by regulation) | Capacity, sub-network |
| Variable energy charge | ~7 to 12 c/kWh | ~10 to 18 c/kWh (low-user offset phasing out) | Volume + time-of-use window |
| Peak ToU multiplier | Up to ~2x on winter weekday peaks | Same multiplier applies | Cold-evening grid stress (~7-9am, 5-9pm winter) |
Indicative ranges drawn from Counties Energy's Pricing Methodology and Commerce Commission Information Disclosure. Exact c/day and c/kWh depend on your ICP's sub-pricing zone. Always check the lines-charge line item on your own bill.
What most pages will not tell you
Three structural facts that change how Counties Energy affects your bill
NZ's most aggressive smart-grid distributor
Counties Energy has been the country's most forward-leaning distributor on vehicle-to-grid (V2G), demand response, and smart-meter integration. It was the first NZ DSO to publish a V2G connection framework allowing bi-directional EV chargers to export back to the grid under controlled conditions. For early-adopter households this matters: a V2G-ready charger plus a compatible EV (Nissan Leaf, MG, BYD) can be configured to discharge during evening peaks, offsetting the highest c/kWh window.
Squeezed between Vector and Waipa
Counties Energy's footprint is the corridor between Vector (south Auckland boundary) and Waipa Networks (Cambridge). It captures most of the Auckland-overflow growth into Franklin: new subdivisions in Pukekohe, Drury, Tuakau, and lifestyle blocks pushing south. This concentrates new-connection capex into a small network, which structurally raises the per-customer cost of growth-driven feeder and zone substation work.
Trust dividends are real and meaningful
The Counties Power Consumer Trust distributes annual dividends to consumers in the Counties Energy footprint. The amount varies year-to-year (recent years NZ$100 to $300 per connection). It is applied as a bill credit via your retailer, typically in May or June. Tenants should confirm with their retailer that the credit is being applied to their account, not absorbed by the landlord.
How to reach Counties Energy
Counties Energy contact methods, by the reason you are calling
| Reason | Channel | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut, fallen line, network fault | 0800 100 202 | 24/7, free-call |
| Life-threatening hazard | 111, then Counties Energy | 24/7 |
| Appliance damage claim | Claim form on Counties Energy site | Online, 4 to 8 week processing |
| Planned outage notification | Live status board | 5 to 10 working days notice |
| Billing question | Your retailer (Counties Energy does not bill end customers) | Retailer's hours |
| Unresolved complaint | Utilities Disputes (free, independent) | After Counties Energy's final written answer |
Where your time actually pays
What a Counties Energy household should actually do
You cannot change who delivers your electricity. You can change what you do about it.
If you have an EV, ask about the V2G framework
Counties Energy publishes one of NZ's cleanest distributed-energy-resource (DER) policies. If your EV supports bi-directional charging and your retailer accepts the demand response, Counties Energy will approve a V2G connection. Few other NZ networks are this open. The economics are most attractive when paired with a peak-aware retail plan.
Check the dividend register every year
The Counties Power Consumer Trust dividend is applied to the registered ICP consumer. If you are renting, the credit follows the registered consumer (typically the tenant). Confirm via your retailer that the credit is hitting your account. This is occasionally where landlords inadvertently absorb credits intended for tenants.
Growth zone caveat: capacity contributions on new builds
New connections in fast-growing Franklin (Drury, Paerata, Pukekohe South) may attract capacity contribution charges at the developer stage. These are passed through to first owners. Get the figure in writing from Counties Energy or your developer before signing.
The Selectra expert answers
Frequently asked questions about Counties Energy
Counties Energy's 24/7 fault line is 0800 100 202, free-call. Use it for any power cut, downed line or fault across Pukekohe, Tuakau, Waiuku, Papakura south or the Hauraki Plains. For an immediate hazard, dial 111 first.
Counties Energy is owned by the Counties Power Consumer Trust, a community trust serving consumers in the Counties Energy footprint. The trust distributes annual dividends back to consumers (typically NZ$100 to $300 per connection). The Commerce Commission regulates Counties Energy's prices through DPP4 (2025 to 2030).
Strategic positioning. Counties Energy's footprint includes some of NZ's most EV-receptive demographics (Auckland fringe lifestyle blocks and growth suburbs). The company invested early in bi-directional charger framework approvals, demand response, and smart-meter integration. It was the first NZ DSO to publish a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) connection standard.
The boundary runs roughly along central Papakura. South of the boundary is Counties Energy, north is Vector (see the coverage notes above for the Vector guide). You can find your ICP's exact distributor in your bill or via the Electricity Authority's ICP lookup.
Yes, via Counties Energy directly (countiesenergy.co.nz). Include photos, receipts, age, the outage timestamp from the live map and a registered electrician's report. Frame around equipment failure on restoration, not the storm itself. Processing 4 to 8 weeks.
Roughly 30 to 45 per cent for a typical residential ICP, before the trust dividend. The mix is a fixed daily charge (80 to 140 c/day for standard users) plus a variable c/kWh charge with a winter peak multiplier. Rural Franklin ICPs sit higher than Pukekohe urban due to long-feeder costs.
No. Counties Energy is the regulated monopoly distributor for Franklin and southern Auckland. You can switch retailer any day, but the Counties Energy lines charge is passed through unchanged.