Introduction
Our Smarter Power portal is a place for innovation. Here we'll share our plans for the future, as well as how you can help us get ready for decarbonisation.
Amongst other assets, our network is made up of over 40,000 power poles, 4,000 substations, and nearly 7,000 kilometres of overhead lines and underground cables.
Our crews are out there day and night, keeping you safe and the network running smoothly by completing over 30,000 inspection and maintenance jobs each year.
Vegetation management
We carry out regular vegetation surveys and rapid response assessments where required. We’ll prioritise areas where trees are at the highest risk of interfering with our overhead lines.
Grounds maintenance
Some of our substations are nearly 100 years old, but we keep them looking as fresh as possible while maintaining any heritage value they might have.
We’ll apply a coat of paint if needed, mow the lawns, and generally make sure our buildings are well looked-after.
Systems maintenance
We proactively carry out hardware and software upgrades to our control systems.
As part of our Earthquake Readiness Programme, we recently built three new data centres and upgraded our radio and phone system to make sure we’re prepared if a major earthquake was to hit.
Fault response
Our 24/7 teams respond to thousands of calls from the public each year, as well as fault reports from electricity retailers on behalf of their customers.
This allows us to promptly address any potential safety issues and quickly restore power when the lights go out.
If something doesn’t look right, let us know. Phone us anytime on 0800 248 148.
Our equipment on private property
While most of our equipment is located in the road reserve or on land owned by us, some of it is on private property.
The Electricity Act 1992 provides us with a statutory right of access to our assets so that we can inspect, maintain, operate and repair them, but property owners and occupiers have certain rights too.
⚡ Planned outages
When we need to maintain, refurbish, or replace our equipment (or install new assets), we might need to turn off your power to keep our crews safe while they work.
Before we do this, we’ll let your electricity retailer know so that they can pass the information on to you to give you time to prepare. For smaller jobs, one of our service providers might let you know in person or by other means. They’ll also provide written notice.
A short planned outage now could save you from a longer unplanned outage in the future.
Planning on using a generator during an outage? Please read this important information first.
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