Unison Continues Power Restoration in Rotorua and Taupo after Storm Causes Power Outages

Unison crews have been making solid progress restoring power to customers in Rotorua and Taupo following the wild weather that caused many power outages on its network overnight.

Cyclone winds and heavy rainfall have caused major damage across the Central North Island, much of it from trees falling through lines.

Approximately 9,000 households were affected by outages in the Rotorua region, with 2,900 households still without power in Rotorua. Just over 2,000 households are still without power in Taupo.

Unison Relationship Manager Danny Gough says, “Our crews have been doing all they can to restore power across our regions as quickly as possible, however safety is paramount. Luckily the weather forecast is improving, which allows our teams to get out to work on repairs.”

“The focus has been to restore the main backbone of our network first, to ensure we restore power to as many customers, as quickly as possible. As we bring the power back on, we will update people through our website and social media channels.”

“I want to thank our communities for their patience as we weather through this storm together. Please stay safe and if you do see fallen powerlines, treat them as live and stay well away,” says Mr Gough.

For real time information about the outages across the Unison network or to report an outage, customers should visit www.unison.co.nz/outages in the first instance. You can also phone 0800 2 UNISON (0800 286 476), but we are experiencing very high call volumes.

During power outages, Unison regularly advises the following safety precautions:

• Check for fallen or damaged electricity lines and treat lines as live at all times. Never touch wires or lines lying on the ground, hanging from poles, or objects such as tree branches that may be touching them. Fallen lines or wires may still be carrying an electrical current and could shock, injure or even kill if touched. Unison is urging anyone who sees a power line down to call 0800 2 Unison.
• Turn off the power at the main switch if you suspect any electrical damage in your home. If the power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances to prevent possible damage by a power surge when the electricity supply is restored.
• Remember that if the electricity network is damaged, it might take some time to get reconnected, so make sure you have a battery-operated radio, a torch, spare batteries, and a full gas bottle for your BBQ as part of your emergency kit.
• Medically dependant customers are advised to prepare for the likelihood of no power and make alternative arrangements in advance.