By Live 24/7 MainPower fault line
Power out in the MainPower network area?
Call MainPower on 0800 30 90 80, 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 MainPower.
The live network status is at www.mainpower.co.nz. Check it first, the cut may already be logged.
MainPower at a glance
The numbers behind your network bill
Connection points (ICPs)
~40,000
North Canterbury
Network conductor
~5,500 km
Rural + lifestyle expansion
24/7 fault line
0800 30 90 80
Free-call
ComCom regulatory path
DPP4 2025-30
Default Price-Quality Path
Where MainPower owns the wires
Coverage: Waimakariri, Hurunui, Kaikoura and Hanmer
| Area | Density profile | Network type |
|---|---|---|
| Rangiora + Kaiapoi | Provincial urban, growth | Mixed |
| Waimakariri rural (Oxford, Cust) | Dairy + lifestyle blocks | Overhead, long feeders |
| Hurunui (Cheviot, Amberley, Waiau) | Sparse rural | Overhead |
| Kaikoura district | Coastal + tourism | Mixed, earthquake-hardened |
| Hanmer Springs | Tourism + alpine | Mostly overhead |
Source: MainPower Asset Management Plan. South of the Waimakariri river is Orion.
The role, decoded
What MainPower actually does (and does not do)
MainPower 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 MainPower 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 MainPower 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 MainPower lines charge shows up on your bill
Roughly 30 to 45 per cent of your retail bill is the MainPower 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 MainPower'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 MainPower affects your bill
Christchurch sprawl is rebuilding the network from the south
Rangiora, Kaiapoi and the Waimakariri rural corridor have absorbed substantial Christchurch overflow growth, especially after the 2010-11 earthquakes. MainPower's capex is dominated by zone substation upgrades and new feeders for greenfield subdivisions north of the Waimakariri river. This concentrates growth-related costs into MainPower's pricing.
2016 Kaikoura earthquake left a structural mark
The November 2016 Kaikoura earthquake caused major damage to coastal feeders and the Kaikoura township substation. MainPower's rebuild included seismic-rated foundations, redundant feeder routing, and mobile substation capability. Resilience capex flows through the network charge under DPP4 and will for several reset cycles.
Trust-owned with consumer dividends
MainPower is owned by the MainPower Trust, which pays an annual dividend to consumers, typically NZ$100 to $250 per connection. The trust dividend partially offsets the higher rural fixed daily charges that the long-feeder geography requires.
How to reach MainPower
MainPower contact methods, by the reason you are calling
| Reason | Channel | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut, fallen line, network fault | 0800 30 90 80 | 24/7, free-call |
| Life-threatening hazard | 111, then MainPower | 24/7 |
| Appliance damage claim | Claim form on MainPower site | Online, 4 to 8 week processing |
| Planned outage notification | Live status board | 5 to 10 working days notice |
| Billing question | Your retailer (MainPower does not bill end customers) | Retailer's hours |
| Unresolved complaint | Utilities Disputes (free, independent) | After MainPower's final written answer |
Where your time actually pays
What a MainPower household should actually do
You cannot change who delivers your electricity. You can change what you do about it.
Lifestyle-block ICPs: long-feeder fixed charges add up
Waimakariri lifestyle blocks (5-acre to 20-acre rural) sit on long overhead feeders. The fixed daily charge dominates the bill for low-consumption rural households. A standard-user tariff usually beats low-user for these consumers because the low-user fixed cap is being phased out by 2027.
Hanmer + Kaikoura tourism load: ToU matters less, plan for outages more
Tourism-dominated addresses see variable seasonal demand. ToU multiplier impact is smaller for short-stay accommodation than for resident homes. Resilience matters more: keep a generator or battery for periods when the network is restoring after weather or seismic events.
Damage claim: equipment failure on restoration
Like every NZ distributor, MainPower rejects pure force-majeure claims. Frame around equipment failure on re-energisation, with photos, receipts, outage timestamp and an electrician's report.
The Selectra expert answers
Frequently asked questions about MainPower
MainPower's 24/7 fault line is 0800 30 90 80, free-call. Use it for any power cut, downed line or fault across Rangiora, Waimakariri, Hurunui, Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs. For an immediate hazard, dial 111 first.
MainPower New Zealand is owned by the MainPower Trust, a community trust serving consumers in the MainPower footprint. The trust distributes annual dividends to consumers (typically NZ$100 to $250 per connection). The Commerce Commission regulates MainPower's prices through DPP4 (2025 to 2030).
Significantly. The November 2016 earthquake caused major damage to coastal feeders and Kaikoura township infrastructure. The rebuild included seismic-rated foundations, redundant feeder routing and mobile substation capability. Resilience capex from the rebuild still flows through the network charge under DPP4.
Yes, via MainPower directly (mainpower.co.nz). Include photos, receipts, age, outage timestamp and an electrician's report. Frame around equipment failure on restoration. Processing 4 to 8 weeks.
No. MainPower is the regulated monopoly distributor for North Canterbury. You can switch retailer any day, but the MainPower lines charge is passed through unchanged. South of the Waimakariri river is Orion (see the coverage notes above); the Marlborough boundary is Marlborough Lines.