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About us

The Lines Company is proud to keep over 18,500 customers connected to electricity throughout the King Country, Ruapehu and Central Plateau.

While most of our customers are residential connections, we also supply electricity to major industrial businesses like the iron-sands mine at Taharoa and New Zealand’s largest lime quarry at Oparure.

Our head office is in Te Kūiti and we have operational depots in Taumarunui, Tūrangi and Ōhakune. We have over 150 staff working across our region, with the majority in the field to maintain our lines.

We are a limited liability company, with a board of directors appointed by our community trust, Waitomo Energy Services Customer Trust. Our business operates in a regulated environment where revenue is controlled by the Commerce Commission.

Key facts

Our network

  • We’ve around 18,500 customers and 24,000 connection points.
  • Our network covers an area of 13,700 square km. That’s bigger than the countries of Vanuatu and Montenegro.
  • 4,500km of power lines — longer than a return trip from Auckland to Sydney.
  • Eight supply points; 35,000 power poles; 27 substations; 5000+ transformers.

Contribution

  • 150 people have jobs with us.
  • Around 80% of our team are locals living on the network.
  • Every dollar we spend brings around $3.40 back into the local economy.
  • We supply around 381 Gigawatt of power per year — the equivalent of supplying 48,000 average New Zealand households.

WESCT

We’re 100% owned by the Waitomo Energy Services Customer Trust.

The Lines Company was formed in April 1999 following the Government’s electricity industry reforms. We’re wholly owned by the Waitomo Energy Services Customer Trust, which works directly with our Board of Directors to negotiate and set the company’s direction through a Statement of Corporate intent.

Beneficiaries

Most customers in the northern part of our network are beneficiaries of our trust. Any profits we make are distributed annually to our beneficiaries by way of credit on your lines bill at specific times throughout the year. You’re eligible for this credit if you’re one of our active customers and live within the Trust’s legal boundaries.

Governance

WESCT is comprised six trustees:

  • Three trustees are elected by customers within the trust’s gazetted area and represent the interests of trust beneficiaries. This group of trustees also appoints an additional trustee that will also represent the interests of trust beneficiaries.
  • Two trustees are elected by major customers within the Trust’s gazetted area and represent business and economic development interests of our area.

The WESCT Trust meets monthly and usually holds its annual general meeting in September.

Trustees

Your current trustees are:

  • Erin Gray (Elected, Chair)
  • Peter Keeling (Business, Deputy Chair)
  • Kyle Barnes (Business)
  • Nigel Chetty (Elected)
  • William Oliver (Elected)
  • Janette Osborne (Appointed)

Investments

Our subsidiaries help us meet your needs.

FCL Metering

Financial Corporation Limited is a 100% owned subsidiary specialising in the supply of metering equipment, data and associated services to retailers, developers and lines companies throughout New Zealand. FCL is responsible for supplying all meters on our network.

Embrium

We hold a 36% stake in Embrium via our subsidiary, FCL Metering. Embrium develops and operates state-of-the-art energy information solutions. Their flagship service, GoodMeasure, offers customers easy access to real-time energy information, enabling sophisticated energy management and demand response services.

Hydro generation

Through Clear Water Hydro, we also develop small scale, low impact, hydro generation schemes across New Zealand.

We work with rural landowners to build low flow-over weirs in streams or rivers with capacity to generate 500-5000kW of electricity to feed back into the local power network.

We also hold a 75% stake in Speedy’s Road Hydro, and operate hydro generation enterprises at Mangapēhi and Matawai.