It will depend on the type of fault causing the outage and available resources. For the latest outage information, click here or give our faults team a call on 0800 367 328.

Our immediate focus was on the safety of our people as well as the public.  We then focused on restoring essential services like water, supermarkets, wastewater, hospitals and power before looking to restore power to large groups of customers.   

We now have faults crews out across our entire network trying to restore faults and reconnect people as soon as we possibly can.

That’s a discussion for you to have with your insurance company.  If you are covered by insurance, you should be able to make a claim.

Yes. There are a number of foodbanks throughout The Lines Company network area. Their details are listed further down this page.

We understand there is support available from Work and Income for those directly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.  Work and Income may be able to help with: 

• medical costs  
• bedding  
• food  
• power bills  
• repairs or replacing appliances 
• loss of income because you can’t work.  

Everyone’s situation is different. To talk to Work and Income call 0800 400 100 between 8.00am – 5.00pm.  

You can also access their website at www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/urgent-costs 

That’s a discussion for you to have with your insurance company.  If you are covered by insurance, you should be able to make a claim.

No. Unfortunately TLC cannot be responsible for natural disasters which are beyond our control. Cyclone Gabrielle has been a catastrophic event. Unless you are insured, the responsibility for appliance and household goods rests with you. 

No. Unfortunately TLC cannot be responsible for natural disasters which are beyond our control.

Whilst technically not a requirement, we would appreciate being informed that generation is being connected to an installation so that we can manage any backfeed risks to keep ourselves and the public safe. Any connection of a generator to an installation MUST be performed by a registered electrician.

No. Unfortunately like the question above, TLC cannot be responsible for natural disasters which are beyond our control.

If in doubt, don’t. Check out the food safety information we have available further down this page.

Under our pre-existing property rights or legal agreements we have with all customers, you must allow us safe and unobstructed access to energy supply equipment on your property, if we need to access it. The sooner we have access, the sooner we can get power back on.

Some of the damage may be on your line or by your trees and there may be costs that need to be covered by the owner of that line.

Yes. We have done everything possible to make sure we restore their power as fast as possible following an outage. 

We simply cannot guarantee any customer uninterrupted supply. Our focus is worker and public safety, followed by getting the power back on.

No. Unfortunately, TLC cannot be responsible for natural disasters which are beyond our control.  We’re community-owned and our assets have been significantly impacted by the event.

Yes. That is an issue we and other line companies have been discussing with the government for some time.

Natural events like this one are near impossible to fully prepare for as there are so many variables and unknowns. We manage our network to government required standards, while ensuring the investment decisions we make provide value for money with a focus on assets which will provide power for generations to come. 

If you have a complaint, please call 0800 367 546 or to access our free complaints process. If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can contact Utilities Disputes on 0800 22 33 40 or go to their website. Utilities Disputes is a free and independent service for resolving complaints about utilities providers.