By Live 24/7 Top Energy fault line
Power out in the Top Energy network area?
Call Top Energy on 0800 867 363, 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 Top Energy.
The live network status is at www.topenergy.co.nz. Check it first, the cut may already be logged.
Top Energy at a glance
The numbers behind your network bill
Connection points (ICPs)
~32,000
Far North district
Network conductor
~4,500 km
NZ's lowest customer density
24/7 fault line
0800 867 363
0800 TOP ENERGY
Annual trust dividend
~$200-400
Per consumer connection
Where Top Energy owns the wires
Coverage: the Far North district
Top Energy covers the entire Far North district: Kerikeri, Paihia, Russell, Kaikohe, Hokianga and Kaitaia, plus the long Aupouri peninsula corridor up to Cape Reinga.
| Area | Density profile | Network type |
|---|---|---|
| Kerikeri + Paihia + Russell | Provincial urban + tourism | Mostly overhead, salt exposure |
| Kaikohe + Hokianga | Small town + rural | Long overhead feeders |
| Kaitaia + western Aupouri peninsula | Provincial + extreme rural | Overhead, isolated |
| Cape Reinga corridor | Very sparse | Overhead, long-distance |
| Far North rural + Maori land trusts | Sparse farms + iwi land | Overhead |
Source: Top Energy Asset Management Plan and Commerce Commission Information Disclosure. South of Kaiwaka transitions to Northpower.
The role, decoded
What Top Energy actually does (and does not do)
Top 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 Top 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 Top 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 Top Energy lines charge shows up on your bill
Roughly 30 to 45 per cent of your retail bill is the Top 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 | ~150 to 250 c/day (low-density premium) | ~15 to 30 c/day (capped by regulation) | Capacity, sub-network |
| Variable energy charge | ~9 to 15 c/kWh | ~13 to 22 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 Top 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 Top Energy affects your bill
A lines company that is also a generator
Top Energy owns and operates the Ngawha geothermal power station, one of the very few NZ lines companies with significant generation assets. Ngawha now supplies most of the Far North's electricity locally, reducing dependence on Transpower's long transmission corridor from the south. Ngawha generation profits indirectly support the trust dividend and underwrite the network upgrade programme.
NZ's lowest customer density network
The Far North has roughly 7 customers per kilometre of line, the lowest in NZ. By comparison, central Auckland Vector runs over 100 customers per kilometre. Top Energy's fixed daily charges reflect this: ICPs in the network footprint pay among the highest fixed daily charges in NZ, because the same infrastructure cost is spread across fewer connections.
Trust dividends among the most generous in NZ
The Top Energy Consumer Trust pays a substantial annual dividend back to consumers, often in the NZ$200 to $400 per connection range. In strong Ngawha generation years this can rise further. Combined with the dividend timing of WEL Networks and a small handful of others, it is one of the more generous direct-consumer-rebate models in NZ infrastructure.
How to reach Top Energy
Top Energy contact methods, by the reason you are calling
| Reason | Channel | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut, fallen line, network fault | 0800 867 363 | 24/7, free-call |
| Life-threatening hazard | 111, then Top Energy | 24/7 |
| Appliance damage claim | Claim form on Top Energy site | Online, 4 to 8 week processing |
| Planned outage notification | Live status board | 5 to 10 working days notice |
| Billing question | Your retailer (Top Energy does not bill end customers) | Retailer's hours |
| Unresolved complaint | Utilities Disputes (free, independent) | After Top Energy's final written answer |
Where your time actually pays
What a Top Energy household should actually do
You cannot change who delivers your electricity. You can change what you do about it.
Far North = multi-day outage planning is mandatory
Cyclones reaching the Far North have a habit of knocking out trunk feeders for days. Households reliant on bore water pumps, septic pumps, freezers and medical equipment should plan for generator or battery backup. The fixed daily charge already pays for a maintained network; resilience is your own decision on top.
Damage claim: equipment failure on restoration
Storm and cyclone claims are usually rejected as force majeure. Successful claims are framed as equipment failure on re-energisation: photos of dead appliances, age, electrician's report, outage timestamp. The framing matters more than the underlying fact pattern.
Trust dividend: confirm it follows the consumer, not the property
The Top Energy Consumer Trust credits the registered ICP consumer (usually the tenant). Renters in the Far North should check that the credit lands on their account, not the landlord's, especially around the May/June payout window.
The Selectra expert answers
Frequently asked questions about Top Energy
Top Energy's 24/7 fault line is 0800 867 363 (0800 TOP ENERGY), free-call. Use it for any power cut, downed line or fault across the Far North district (Kerikeri, Kaitaia, Kaikohe). For an immediate hazard, dial 111 first.
Yes. Top Energy owns and operates the Ngawha geothermal power station, near Kaikohe. Ngawha is one of NZ's northernmost generation stations and supplies most of the Far North's electricity locally. Generation profits indirectly support the trust dividend and underwrite Top Energy's network resilience programme.
Top Energy is owned by the Top Energy Consumer Trust, a community trust serving consumers in the Far North district. The trust distributes annual dividends to consumers, often in the NZ$200 to $400 per connection range. The Commerce Commission regulates Top Energy's prices through DPP4 (2025 to 2030).
The Far North has NZ's lowest customer density (~7 customers per kilometre of line versus over 100 in central Auckland). The fixed cost of maintaining poles, wires, transformers and crews is spread across fewer connections, so each connection pays a higher share. The Commerce Commission regulates these prices but cannot make rural infrastructure cheaper than rural geography allows.
Pure storm claims are usually rejected as force majeure. Frame the claim around equipment failure on restoration: photos of the dead appliance, age, original receipt, the outage timestamp from the live map, and a registered electrician's report linking failure to the surge when power returned. Submit via topenergy.co.nz. Processing 4 to 8 weeks.
Around the Kaiwaka / Hakaru area. North of there is Top Energy, south is Northpower (covered in its own guide, linked in the coverage notes above). Look at your bill's lines-charge line item, or use the Electricity Authority ICP lookup to confirm your distributor.
No. Top Energy is the regulated monopoly distributor for the Far North. You can switch retailer any day, but the Top Energy lines charge is passed through unchanged. The trust dividend does meaningfully reduce the effective network cost across a year.