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Electricians in NorthlandTwo lines companies, long rural lines, and trees.

Northland's power comes through two lines companies: Northpower around Whangārei and Kaipara, and Top Energy across the Mid and Far North. If a line is down or the whole street is dark, ring them, not a sparky. For anything inside your home, tell us the job and we'll match you with one licence-checked local electrician who does that work.

Who to ring when the power goes in Northland

Northpower: Whangārei and Kaipara

Its lines run from Mangawhai and Kaiwaka north to Whangaruru and Ōakura, and west from Waipoua forest to Pouto. The 24 hour faults line is 0800 10 40 40, and Northpower asks you to report a cut to it as the network owner, not to your retailer. South of Mangawhai, Vector takes over.

Top Energy: the Mid and Far North

From Hukerenui, about 25 km north of Whangārei, up to Te Paki, 20 km short of Cape Reinga, coast to coast. Its faults line, 0800 867 363, is available 24/7. Top Energy says over 35% of its lines were first built with post-war rural subsidies, and many now need rebuilding.

A line down after a storm

Treat it as live. Top Energy says to stay at least 10 metres away and call 111, then let the lines company know. If clearing a fallen tree would put you, the tree or your tools within 4 metres of a line, don't do it yourself.

Why Northland outages can run long

Trees cause most of the damage. At the peak of Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, Top Energy had 16,000 customers without power, with the Hokianga hit hardest. Kaitāia, Kerikeri and Kaikohe largely kept theirs, which Top Energy credits to tree trimming in those towns.

The supply route is the other weak spot. When a Transpower tower fell near Glorit on 20 June 2024, Northpower said 65,000 of the properties it supplies were affected, and it switched off hot water and planned rolling outages.

Northpower doesn't supply generators to homes and suggests a local electrician can help with backup. If a long cut would hurt, think a farm pump or a full freezer, a sparky can talk you through running backup power safely. Rely on power for medical reasons? Tell your power company and apply for medically dependent consumer status.

Growth towns, baches and bigger supplies

Top Energy calls Kerikeri one of the fastest growing population centres in the country, with strong demand for subdivisions. New homes mean new connections, and on Top Energy's lines you must apply before upgrading a supply, such as going to three-phase power.

In an older villa or a bach that's been added to over the years, a switchboard upgrade or an electrical inspection is usually where to start. One Northpower catch for holiday places: if the power has been off for six months or more, it needs an inspection and a Certificate of Verification before it's reconnected.

We have local pages for Whangārei and Kerikeri. Anywhere else in Northland, put in your postcode and we'll look for a match near you.

The rules are national

Licensing works the same in Kaitāia as it does in Wellington: ask for the electrician's licence ID and check it on the EWRB register. Your certificates depend on how risky the job is, not where you live (certificates explained).

What we'd do up north

Put your lines company's faults number in your phone now, before the next storm. Then, if the house is older or you're adding something big like an EV charger, get the switchboard checked first. It's the job that makes the rest safe.

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 Northland

Electricians in WhangāreiNorthpower's faults line, backup power after the 2024 outage, solar rules and the jobs Whangārei homes ask for.Electricians in KerikeriTop Energy's faults line, Kerikeri's subdivision boom, supply upgrades, solar and why tree trimming kept the lights on.

Questions

Straight answers.

Is my Northland home on Northpower or Top Energy?

Whangārei and Kaipara are Northpower. The Mid and Far North, from Hukerenui up, are Top Energy. If you're anywhere near the line between them, the ENA lines company map gives the answer for your address.

The power's back after a storm but part of my house is still off. Who do I call?

That's usually inside your property, so it's an electrician's job. Reset a tripped RCD or breaker once, and if it trips again, leave it off and get a sparky in. Power out in part of the house walks through it.

Related help

Helpful next

Electricians in WhangāreiNorthpower's faults line, backup power after the 2024 outage, solar rules and the jobs Whangārei homes ask for.Electricians in KerikeriTop Energy's faults line, Kerikeri's subdivision boom, supply upgrades, solar and why tree trimming kept the lights on.Emergency electricians111, the lines company or an electrician? What to do first in an electrical emergency at home.Switchboard upgradesOld fuses, no RCDs or no room for a charger: when to upgrade, and the certificates and inspection to expect.Three-phase power upgradesWhen three-phase power is worth it, how the lines company upgrade works, and the inspection that comes with it.Power out in part of the houseOne room or half the house dark: what to check at the switchboard, and when to call the lines company instead.

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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