As the fire risk increases across North Canterbury, MainPower is required to implement additional safety measures on our Network.
What does this mean?
In the event of an unplanned power outage, MainPower uses an ‘auto reclose’ function to automatically reconnect power.
This feature will often restore supply within seconds. However, it can also cause a spark if there is debris (such as tree branches) on power lines.
As the FENZ fire alert level changes, our network automatically disables this feature to reduce the risk of fire.
What does this mean for MainPower customers?
When this feature is turned off, a MainPower faultperson must patrol the line to ensure there are no fire risks before power supply can be reconnected.
This may result in longer timeframes to reconnect customers following an unplanned power outage.
Thank you for your patience during this extended dry period. We will continue to restore power supply as safely and quickly as possible. You can stay up to date with MainPower network outages via MainPower’s power outage map.
