Sparkies aim to call you within the hour.
Get matched

Wānaka, Otago

Electricians in WānakaTwo lines companies, and demand growing faster than most.

Tell us about your Wānaka job and we'll match it with one licence-checked local electrician who does that kind of work. Most of Wānaka is on Aurora Energy's network (faults 0800 22 00 05), but Northlake, Clearview and Hukiwai are on the Lakeland Network, which PowerNet manages (0800 808 587).

Need a sparky in Wānaka?

  1. Your postcode and a few quick questions
  2. We match a licence-checked local electrician who specialises in your kind of job
  3. They call you to talk it through. No obligation to go ahead.
  • Practising licence and insurance checked before they hear about your job
  • One specialist for your kind of job, not a list of five to ring around
  • Only the electrician who takes your job gets your contact details
The famous Wānaka Tree standing in Lake Wānaka at sunrise with mountains behind.
Photo: Donovan Kelly on Pexels

Power in the Upper Clutha

Check which network you're on

Parts of Wānaka are on the PowerNet-managed Lakeland Network, which runs embedded networks in the Northlake, Clearview and Hukiwai subdivisions. Elsewhere it's Aurora Energy. Enter your address on the ENA's online lines company map to check, and if you're near a boundary, check with both.

Demand is climbing

Aurora says electricity demand in the Upper Clutha and Wānaka is growing faster than in other parts of New Zealand. Its Powering Upper Clutha 2050 project starts in 2027 with a 66 kV line from Lindis Crossing substation to a new substation.

Batteries that earn

Aurora and Octopus Energy are trialling extra credits for Octopus customers in Queenstown and Wānaka/Upper Clutha with an intelligent home battery or vehicle-to-grid setup, as Aurora looks for alternatives to building new infrastructure.

Water

The lakeside part of town is prone to occasional spring flooding. Wānaka recorded 164 mm of rain in October 2024, 263% of its October normal.

Notifiable loads: what Aurora needs to know

On Aurora's network you need to apply to alter your connection before installing notifiable loads, and Aurora names EV charging, generators and heat pumps among them. The same goes for replacing all or part of the mains on your property.

You don't apply yourself. Aurora says to start with a registered electrician, who registers the job with one of Aurora's Approved Network Contractors. That contractor quotes and applies to Aurora, and you or your electrician ask your retailer for pre-approval if a new meter is needed.

In practice, a new heat pump, a wall charger or a generator inlet in Wānaka is a job for an electrician who knows that process, not just the wiring.

Solar, batteries and charging

Since 1 August 2025, single phase homes on Aurora's network can export up to 10 kW of solar, though actual export may be lower depending on what the network can take, and the inverter must have voltage response settings enabled.

On the Lakeland side, PowerNet says solar and battery owners must apply and receive final approval before connecting, with compliant small systems fast-tracked for up to 10 kW export per ICP depending on its congestion map. PowerNet encourages smart EV charging that responds to pricing, notes that not every EV supports three phase charging, and treats a vehicle-to-grid setup that exports power as generation that needs an application.

Solar PV is high-risk work everywhere in New Zealand, so expect a licensed electrical inspector's Record of Inspection as well as a Certificate of Compliance.

The lines on your own section

Aurora says property owners are responsible for the service line from where it crosses their boundary, including low voltage lines and poles on their land, and recommends having them inspected every five years. Only approved utility arborists may trim trees within 4 metres of a power line.

If a line is down, treat it as live, get back at least 10 metres, and call 111 first, then your lines company.

What we'd do in Wānaka

We'd find out which lines company you're on before anything else, because the process and the phone number change. Then we'd put every planned load, the heat pump, the charger, maybe a battery, into one conversation with an electrician, so the application to Aurora or Lakeland is made once and sized right.

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.

Get matched

Questions

Straight answers.

Do I need permission to install an EV charger in Wānaka?

On Aurora's network, EV charging is a notifiable load, so your electrician arranges an application to alter your connection through an Approved Network Contractor. On the Lakeland Network, ask your electrician to check with PowerNet before it's fitted.

How will I know about a planned outage?

Your retailer usually sends notice at least ten working days ahead. Aurora is also trialling a text reminder two days before a planned outage at your property, which you sign up for with your ICP number.

Who do I call when the power goes in Wānaka?

On Aurora's network, check its outage list, then call 0800 22 00 05. In Northlake, Clearview or Hukiwai, call PowerNet on 0800 808 587. If only your home is out, check your switchboard first.

Ready for a sparky in Wānaka?

Pop in your postcode and answer a few quick questions. We find the licensed local specialist for the job.

Related help

Helpful next

Electricians in OtagoAurora, PowerNet and Network Waitaki contacts, your own poles and lines, and growth across Otago.EV charger installationWall charger or 3-pin cable, the Type B RCD, load checks and the certificates you should get for a home charger.Heat pump wiring and circuitsThe circuit, switchboard space and certificates behind a heat pump, and what the rental heating standard asks.New power connections and supply upgradesElectrician, lines company, retailer: who does what for a new connection, and how long it can take.Meter boards and mainsWho owns the meter, the meter board and the line to your house, and who to call when something's wrong.Electricians in QueenstownHeat pumps, snow, Frankton's Lakeland Network and the Alpine Fault: what shapes electrical work in Queenstown.

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.

Get matched with a sparky