By Live 24/7 The Power Company fault line
Power out in the The Power Company network area?
Call The Power Company on 0800 808 587, 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 The Power Company.
The live network status is at www.powernet.co.nz. Check it first, the cut may already be logged.
The Power Company at a glance
The numbers behind your network bill
Connection points (ICPs)
~38,000
Southland rural
Network conductor
~5,500 km
Dairy intensification country
24/7 fault line
0800 808 587
PowerNet shared
The Power Company Trust + minority
Trust + Pioneer ownership
Mixed ownership
Where The Power Company owns the wires
Coverage: Southland rural (excluding Invercargill city)
| Area | Density profile | Network type |
|---|---|---|
| Gore + Mataura | Provincial town + dairy service | Mixed |
| Winton + Te Anau corridor | Small town + tourism | Mixed |
| Southland dairy plains (Edendale, Wyndham) | Intensive dairy | Long overhead irrigation feeders |
| Fiordland edge (Manapouri, Te Anau) | Tourism + sparse rural | Long overhead |
| Stewart Island | Remote, small grid | Local distribution, isolated |
The role, decoded
What The Power Company actually does (and does not do)
The Power Company 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 The Power Company 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 The Power Company 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 The Power Company lines charge shows up on your bill
Roughly 30 to 45 per cent of your retail bill is the The Power Company 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 The Power Company'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 The Power Company affects your bill
NZ's largest rural dairy distribution network
Southland is the most intensively dairy-farmed region in NZ. The Power Company supplies the cluster of dairy farms, milking sheds, irrigation pumps and the small towns that service them. The network carries some of NZ's highest sustained agricultural load per kilometre of conductor. Dairy intensification continues to drive rural feeder capex.
Tiwai exposure: the largest demand-shock risk in NZ
The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter at Bluff is connected directly to Transpower and is not on TPC's distribution network, but its potential closure or contraction reshapes the entire Southland grid. Tiwai consumes around 13 per cent of NZ's electricity. A Tiwai exit would change Southland transmission costs, generation prices and ultimately TPC's share of pass-through charges.
PowerNet operator structure + trust ownership
TPC is owned by the The Power Company Trust with a minority stake held by Pioneer Energy. Operations are delivered by PowerNet under contract, the same operator as Electricity Invercargill and OtagoNet.
How to reach The Power Company
The Power Company contact methods, by the reason you are calling
| Reason | Channel | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut, fallen line, network fault | 0800 808 587 | 24/7, free-call |
| Life-threatening hazard | 111, then The Power Company | 24/7 |
| Appliance damage claim | Claim form on The Power Company site | Online, 4 to 8 week processing |
| Planned outage notification | Live status board | 5 to 10 working days notice |
| Billing question | Your retailer (The Power Company does not bill end customers) | Retailer's hours |
| Unresolved complaint | Utilities Disputes (free, independent) | After The Power Company's final written answer |
Where your time actually pays
What a The Power Company household should actually do
You cannot change who delivers your electricity. You can change what you do about it.
Dairy farm ICPs: agricultural tariff class is non-optional
TPC publishes specific dairy farm and irrigation network tariffs. Confirm with your retailer that you are billed against the right class, not a default residential ToU. The savings are typically NZ$200 to $600 per year for a working dairy.
PowerNet shared fault line: identify your ICP when calling
Have your ICP number or full address ready. PowerNet's shared control room dispatches across three LCs and the right crew depends on knowing your network.
Tiwai watch: factor it into retailer decisions
Any major Tiwai announcement (exit, contraction, deal extension) reshapes regional electricity costs for years. Retailer plan choices and long-term contracts should factor in this risk.
The Selectra expert answers
Frequently asked questions about The Power Company
The Power Company's 24/7 fault line is 0800 808 587, handled by PowerNet. Use it for any power cut, downed line or fault across Southland rural areas (excluding Invercargill city). For an immediate hazard, dial 111 first.
TPC is owned by the The Power Company Trust with a minority stake held by Pioneer Energy. Day-to-day operations are delivered by PowerNet under a management contract. The Commerce Commission regulates TPC's prices through DPP4.
Tiwai is not on TPC's distribution network but consumes about 13 per cent of NZ's total electricity. A Tiwai exit or contraction reshapes the regional grid economics: wholesale prices, transmission cost recovery, and ultimately the lines and energy pass-through your retailer bills. Southland would feel these shifts most acutely.
Yes, via TPC / PowerNet (powernet.co.nz). Frame around equipment failure on restoration with photos, receipts and electrician's report. Processing 4 to 8 weeks.
No. The Power Company is the regulated monopoly distributor for rural Southland (excluding Invercargill city, which sits on the EIL network covered in its own guide above). You can switch retailer any day, but the TPC lines charge is passed through unchanged.