Unison advises wild weather may cause outages

Friday 2 March 2012 – Unison is advising the public to be prepared for potential outages as a result of high winds forecast for the Hawke’s Bay, Rotorua and Taupo regions.

The Met Service has warned gales are expected over the entire North Island, as well as heavy persistent rain.

Unison Group Chief Executive Officer, Ken Sutherland, said adverse weather had the potential to cause disruption to the electricity network but the company was on high alert to minimise the impact for power users.

“While we don’t expect any major issues, Unison lines crews have been briefed and are on standby to repair any outages as quickly as possible. We do advise however that power users should be prepared for the possibility of an outage while this weather front is active.”

Mr Sutherland also reminded customers to call Unison first if they do experience an outage on 0800 2 UNISON (0800 286 476).

Should the power go out, Unison advises the following safety precautions:
• check for fallen or damaged electricity lines. Never touch wires or lines lying on the ground, hanging from poles, or objects such as tree branches that may be touching them. Fallen lines or wires may still be carrying an electrical current and could shock, injure or even kill if touched.
• Turn off the power at the main switch if you suspect any electrical damage in your home. If the power goes out, turn off all electrical appliances to prevent possible damage by a power surge when the electricity supply is restored.
• Remember that if the electricity network is damaged, it might take a number of hours to get reconnected, so make sure you have a battery operated radio, a torch, spare batteries, and a full gas bottle for your BBQ as part of your emergency kit.

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