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Planned outage FAQs

Our crews will be carrying out important work on the electricity network. This may include maintenance, upgrades, or replacing equipment that’s nearing the end of its life or needs to be tested. 

To keep everyone safe, the power must be switched off while crews are working close to, or directly on, live equipment. Turning the power off allows the team to complete the job safely.

This work helps keep your local power supply safer and more reliable now and in the future. Upgraded equipment and regular maintenance reduce the chance of faults, strengthen supply during bad weather, and support the growing needs of your community.

A few simple steps can make things easier on the day:

  • Charge phones, laptops, and power banks
  • Switch off sensitive appliances
  • Keep fridge and freezer doors closed to help food stay cold
  • Let your health, medical alarm, or security provider know
  • If you work from home, consider working from another location during the outage

The length of the outage depends on how complex the job is and what steps crews need to take to work safely. Some tasks are straightforward, while others require more time to complete carefully. 

We also try to choose days and times that minimise disruption wherever possible — for example, avoiding school days in school areas, or scheduling work outside busy periods for local businesses. Weather and safety requirements can also influence when the work can take place.

Sensitive electrical equipment includes devices that can be affected by power interruptions or when power is restored. This may include TVs, computers, modems, routers, smart devices, and appliances with electronic controls.

Before the outage, switch these items off at the wall and unplug them if possible. This helps protect them when power is turned back on.

If you’re unsure, it’s safest to switch the device off.

Not always. If the job goes smoothly, crews may be able to restore power earlier than planned. If the full timeframe is needed, your power will remain off for the entire scheduled window. We’ll always turn it back on as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Notifications are sent to the account holder using the contact details held by your electricity retailer. If these details are out of date, or if you’re not the account holder, you may not receive the message. 

We’re improving our systems so more customers receive updates by SMS, email, and through our Outage Centre. If you think you missed a notification, please check your contact details with your electricity retailer. 

Occasionally, we need to cancel or postpone work. This is usually due to unavoidable planning issues, poor weather, or safety matters. If this occurs, we will notify the power account holder and update the Vector Outage Centre. We appreciate that this is especially inconvenient and we try and minimise this as much as we can.

Keep the fridge closed so food will stay cold for longer while the power is off. A freezer will usually keep food frozen for up to 24 hours without power if the door stays shut.

Avoid opening doors frequently to maintain temperature and reduce the risk of food spoilage.

If the work takes longer than expected, we’ll restore power as soon as it’s safe to do so.

If timings change, we’ll send an SMS and or email update to keep you informed when we receive confirmation from crews on site. Our crews share updates as soon as they’re available, so we can pass this information on as quickly as possible.

Please note that notifications are sent to the power account holder only, as we only hold their contact details. If you live with other people, you may wish to pass this information on to them. If you’re the account holder but don’t live at the address, please forward this information to those who do.

Sometimes work can’t go ahead because of weather or safety requirements. If that happens, we’ll use the alternative date provided in your notification. We’ll keep you updated if anything changes.

If you use medical equipment that relies on electricity, please make sure your emergency response plan is ready before the outage.


We also recommend registering as a medically dependent consumer with your electricity retailer so you receive the right support and notifications.


If you have any immediate health concerns, contact your health provider, or call 111 in an emergency.

You may notice some noise from tools or vehicles while the work is happening. Our crews will do their best to minimise disruption and complete the job as quickly and safely as they can.

Start by checking the Outage Centre for the latest updates.
If your area shows as restored but your home still has no power, please log a fault so we can look into it.

We’re always here to help and want to make things right wherever we can. If we’re unable to resolve your concern, Utilities Disputes offers a free and independent service. You’ll find their details on vector.co.nz.