Havelock North's power, locally
Unison runs the lines
Havelock North is on Unison's lines, which reach over 119,000 electricity consumers across Hastings, Napier, TaupÅ and Rotorua. For fallen lines, Unison asks you to call the Police on 111 first, then 0800 2 UNISON (0800 2 86476).
Gabrielle and Cook
Unison says a peak of 75,000 customers lost power after Cyclone Gabrielle. On 15 February 2023 it reported good progress in large parts of Hastings and Havelock North, with 9,900 Hastings households still off. In Cyclone Cook in April 2017, Brookvale Road, Arataki Road, Joll Road, Plassey Street and Pufflet Road all lost power.
Flash floods
Thunderstorms on 9 December 2001 brought an estimated 100-year rainfall, with widespread surface flooding in central Hastings and Havelock North and damage to roofs.
Upgrades under way
Unison's 2024 to 2025 programme includes upgrading the Arataki and Arataki-Havelock tie 33 kV lines.
The village and its people
Havelock North, laid out in 1860 and known locally as the village, is mainly residential and rural-residential. It had 15,003 people in 5,979 dwellings at the 2023 Census, with a median age of 48.8.
What Havelock North homes usually need
Finding faults after an outage. Unison suggests checking your switchboard for tripped switches or blown fuses, then contacting Unison first, because an electrician can't check its lines. If the street is back on and you aren't, that's when an electrician helps.
Checks after flooding or roof damage. Water in ceiling wiring or under-floor cables can cause faults weeks later.
Lighting and smoke alarms for older residents. Good lighting on steps and paths, and interconnected smoke alarms that sound everywhere at once.
Solar. From November 2025 Unison raised the export limit for single-phase systems on its fast-track process from 5 kW to 10 kW. You apply before installing if your inverter isn't already approved.
Our take for Havelock North
We'd keep Unison's number somewhere you can find it in the dark, and know where your main switch is. Then we'd get RCDs on every circuit and interconnected smoke alarms in, because those protect you whether the power's on or coming back after a storm.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.