By Live 24/7 Electra fault line
Power out in the Electra network area?
Call Electra on 0800 353 8728, 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 Electra.
The live network status is at www.electra.co.nz. Check it first, the cut may already be logged.
Electra at a glance
The numbers behind your network bill
Connection points (ICPs)
~46,000
Horowhenua + Kapiti Coast
Network conductor
~3,300 km
Coastal + lifestyle blocks
24/7 fault line
0800 353 8728
Free-call
ComCom regulatory path
DPP4 2025-30
Default Price-Quality Path
Where Electra owns the wires
Coverage: Horowhenua District and Kapiti Coast
Electra covers Levin, Foxton and the entire Kapiti Coast from Otaki south to Paekakariki.
| Area | Density profile | Network type |
|---|---|---|
| Levin + Horowhenua | Provincial town + rural | Mixed |
| Otaki + Te Horo | Small town + horticulture | Mixed |
| Waikanae + Paraparaumu | Retiree-belt suburban | Mostly underground (mature) |
| Paekakariki + coastal Kapiti | Coastal lifestyle | Mixed, salt exposure |
| Foxton + Foxton Beach | Small town + beach | Overhead |
Source: Electra Asset Management Plan and Commerce Commission Information Disclosure. South of Pukerua Bay transitions to Wellington Electricity; north toward Palmerston North is Powerco.
The role, decoded
What Electra actually does (and does not do)
Electra 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 Electra 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 Electra 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 Electra lines charge shows up on your bill
Roughly 30 to 45 per cent of your retail bill is the Electra 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 Electra'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 Electra affects your bill
NZ's retiree-belt distribution network
The Kapiti Coast holds NZ's highest concentration of over-65s outside specialised retirement villages. Electra's demand profile reflects this: lower per-customer consumption, but daytime base load that is unusually stable for a residential network. This makes ToU-rate design tricky: traditional peak-shaving incentives are blunted because retirees are home most of the day.
Coastal salt + slow underground rollout
The Kapiti Coast has aggressive salt exposure on overhead conductor and pole hardware. Older suburbs (Paraparaumu central) were undergrounded decades ago, but newer growth subdivisions and the Otaki-Levin corridor remain overhead. Electra's capex priorities favour staged undergrounding of the most salt-exposed feeders.
Trust dividends, modest but reliable
The Electra Trust distributes annual dividends to consumers, typically in the NZ$100 to $200 per connection range. The Electra dividend has historically been smaller than WEL or Top Energy but more consistent year-to-year, reflecting the network's relatively stable demand profile.
How to reach Electra
Electra contact methods, by the reason you are calling
| Reason | Channel | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut, fallen line, network fault | 0800 353 8728 | 24/7, free-call |
| Life-threatening hazard | 111, then Electra | 24/7 |
| Appliance damage claim | Claim form on Electra site | Online, 4 to 8 week processing |
| Planned outage notification | Live status board | 5 to 10 working days notice |
| Billing question | Your retailer (Electra does not bill end customers) | Retailer's hours |
| Unresolved complaint | Utilities Disputes (free, independent) | After Electra's final written answer |
Where your time actually pays
What a Electra household should actually do
You cannot change who delivers your electricity. You can change what you do about it.
Retiree households: hot-water timer + heat-pump pre-heat are the biggest levers
Even on the lower demand profile, the Electra ToU multiplier still rewards shifting hot-water heating to overnight off-peak and pre-heating before 7am. A hot-water timer + scheduled heat pump can save NZ$200-plus annually for a retiree household with modest consumption.
Verify the trust dividend on your account
The Electra Trust dividend follows the registered ICP consumer. Confirm via your retailer that the credit is on your account in May or June each year.
Solar export approval on long coastal feeders
Newer subdivisions in the Otaki-Levin corridor sit on long overhead feeders with voltage rise constraints. Ask Electra for the network approval letter before paying for any solar install above the standard inverter limit.
The Selectra expert answers
Frequently asked questions about Electra
Electra's 24/7 fault line is 0800 353 8728, free-call. Use it for any power cut, downed line or fault across Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast. For an immediate hazard, dial 111 first.
Electra is owned by the Electra Trust, a community trust serving consumers in the Electra footprint (Horowhenua, Kapiti Coast, Foxton). The trust pays an annual dividend back to consumers, typically NZ$100 to $200 per connection. The Commerce Commission regulates Electra's prices through DPP4 (2025 to 2030).
Electra covers the Horowhenua District (Levin, Foxton, Foxton Beach) and the Kapiti Coast (Otaki, Te Horo, Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Paekakariki). South of Pukerua Bay the network transitions to Wellington Electricity; north toward Palmerston North is Powerco (see the coverage notes above for direct links to each).
Yes, via Electra directly (electra.co.nz). Include photos, receipts, age, the outage timestamp, and an electrician's report. Frame the claim around equipment failure on restoration, not the underlying weather. 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 plus a variable c/kWh charge with a winter peak multiplier.
No. Electra is the regulated monopoly distributor for Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast. You can switch retailer any day, but the Electra lines charge is passed through unchanged.