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Electricians in CanterburyQuakes, windstorms, snow, and a lot of new houses.

Canterbury's power comes through four main lines companies: Orion in Christchurch and central Canterbury, MainPower to the north, EA Networks in Mid Canterbury and Alpine Energy in South Canterbury. Outages and fallen lines go to them. For work inside your home, we'll match you with one licence-checked local electrician who does that kind of job.

Which lines company is yours?

Orion: Christchurch, Selwyn, Banks Peninsula

24 hour line: 0800 363 9898. Wherever its network is damaged, Orion says to keep everyone at least 10 metres away and call 111 as well as Orion.

MainPower: Waimakariri, Hurunui, Kaikōura

24 hour faults: 0800 30 90 80. In the October 2025 windstorm it told people to stay at least 20 metres from lines.

EA Networks: Ashburton District

Report downed or at-risk lines on 0800 430 460. For an outage you can tell your retailer or EA Networks directly.

Alpine Energy: Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate

24 hour fault and emergency line: 0800 66 11 77. Its online fault form isn't for emergencies.

What the quakes did underground

Orion's 2013 recovery update counted half its 66 kV cables damaged, more than 1,000 faults on its 11 kV underground cables, and damage to 268 privately owned substations. In the residential red zone, more than 8,000 homes were later demolished or removed.

If your home was repaired or rebuilt after the quakes, keep the electrical certificates from that work with the house papers. The EWRB says a Certificate of Compliance may be needed when you sell.

Snow and windstorms

The June 2006 snowstorm destroyed more than 500 power poles, and on 21 June 800 mid and south Canterbury homes went into their 10th day without power. The September 2013 windstorm cut almost 14,000 MainPower customers, 40% of its total, and Orion ranked it its third biggest event in 21 years.

In October 2025, under a state of emergency, winds cut power to more than 6,200 MainPower customers, with Hanmer Springs, Culverden and Oxford among the hardest hit. Out on the plains and up the valleys, it's worth planning for an outage that runs past a day.

Heat pumps everywhere, and fast-growing towns

In the 2023 Census, 86.17% of Christchurch homes used a heat pump. That's a lot of load on older switchboards, so before another one goes in, have the board and the heat pump wiring checked.

Selwyn was New Zealand's fastest growing district between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses, and Rolleston grew from around 2,800 people in 2001 to 28,449, so Orion is building a West Rolleston substation. Waimakariri District Council plans about 4,500 new households around Rangiora. Orion's connections process covers changing capacity to add an EV charger, and it suggests your electrician applies for you.

One national rule worth knowing, and your local pages

WorkSafe says every new circuit from the switchboard that supplies lighting or power points in a home must have RCD protection, the switch with a test button that cuts the power if current leaks. Any extension with new circuits gets them (RCDs explained).

We have pages for Christchurch, Ashburton and Timaru, plus Rolleston, Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Lincoln.

If it were our house in Canterbury

With a heat pump or two already on an older board, get the switchboard checked before you add a charger. Building in Selwyn or Waimakariri? Ask for spare room on the board now, while the walls are open.

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.

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Cities and towns in Canterbury

Electricians in ChristchurchHeat pump circuits, infill connections and Orion's rules: electrical help matched to your part of Christchurch.Electricians in AshburtonEA Networks' outage line and alerts, the 2021 flood, digging near poles and solar export in Mid Canterbury.Electricians in TimaruAlpine Energy's emergency line, bungalow-era wiring, the 2006 snowstorm and solar and EV charging in Timaru.

Questions

Straight answers.

My power's out but Orion's outage list doesn't show it. What now?

Orion says that if your outage isn't listed and you still have no power, call it on 0800 363 9898. Check your switchboard for a tripped switch first, because a fault inside your home is an electrician's job.

Who owns the power poles on my land in South Canterbury?

Alpine Energy says it owns all its 33 kV, 22 kV and 11 kV poles and lines, even on private land. Low voltage lines and poles that are part of your own service mains on your land are yours to look after.

Related help

Helpful next

Electricians in ChristchurchHeat pump circuits, infill connections and Orion's rules: electrical help matched to your part of Christchurch.Electricians in AshburtonEA Networks' outage line and alerts, the 2021 flood, digging near poles and solar export in Mid Canterbury.Electricians in TimaruAlpine Energy's emergency line, bungalow-era wiring, the 2006 snowstorm and solar and EV charging in Timaru.Switchboard upgradesOld fuses, no RCDs or no room for a charger: when to upgrade, and the certificates and inspection to expect.RCDs (residual current devices)What an RCD does, why new circuits need one, how to test it, and what a nuisance trip is telling you.Emergency electricians111, the lines company or an electrician? What to do first in an electrical emergency at home.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with the EWRB, WorkSafe or Tenancy Services if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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