Prepare for a potentially rough weekend

Northpower Media Statement

Date: 2 March, 2012
Subject: Northlanders urged to ready for stormy weekend

Northpower is encouraging locals to prepare for a potentially rough weekend.

The MetService has issued a severe weather warning with heavy rain and severe gales expected over many parts of the North Island on Saturday.

Northpower’s General Manager of Northpower’s Network Division, Graham Dawson says, while Northland is likely to escape the worst of the weather, it is important people are prepared for the worst with winds of up to 100km/h possible.

“Our crews are on standby and will do their best to respond to any outages as quickly as possible,” says Mr Dawson.

”While we don’t expect many problems, people should be prepared for outages because such weather can have a significant impact on our electricity network.

“We appreciate outages can cause frustration. However, people can get outage updates on our Faults line – 0800-10 40 40. They should also feel free to call our free phone faults line if they see a downed line or the potential cause of an outage. The safety of the public and Northpower’s field staff is of primary importance.”

It is critical members of the public are well prepared and remain aware of the need for safety around powerlines and that means staying well clear of downed powerlines or damaged electrical equipment and treating them as live at all times, says Mr Dawson.

People should:-

• keep a torch and spare batteries handy and ensure that you have at least one telephone that does not rely on electricity for operation
• watch out for falling tree branches as these can cause damage to power lines
• avoid possible damage to electrical appliances (in the unlikely event there is a power surge when the power is restored) by switching off appliances at the wall
• Ensure that an alternate fuel is always available for cooking (e.g. gas for BBQ)
And he says people using medical equipment that relies on electricity should ensure they are prepared for power disruptions.

“If there is an immediate health threat, they should not hesitate to contact their health provider or call 111,” says Mr Dawson.

ENDS

*About Northpower
Northpower is a Northland owned electricity distribution company with over 54,000 electricity consumers connected to its network over an area of 5,700 square kilometres across the Whangarei and Kaipara Districts in Northland. Northpower Contracting, a division of Northpower, is a leading supplier of electricity distribution network design, maintenance and construction services with branches across New Zealand’s North Island and in Perth, Western Australia. More about Northpower is available at www.northpower.com

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