Click for a larger image

Step 1 Contact Your Proposed Electricity Retailer

Before any new site is livened you must have a contract for electricity supply with an energy retailer.  The retailer will want to know the address details for the property you want to connect.  If it is in a new subdivision you might not know the street number yet, so you will need to use the Lot number and DP number from your property title.

Energy retailers operating over the Powerco network will also have lists of Powerco approved contractors who can help you out with step 2.

The main electricity retailers trading on Powerco's networks are:

www.contactenergy.co.nz

www.energyonline.co.nz

www.genesisenergy.co.nz

www.mercury.co.nz

www.meridanenergy.co.nz

www.bopenergy.co.nz

www.toddenergy.co.nz

www.trustpower.co.nz

www.novaenergy.co.nz

Step 2 Engage a Powerco Approved Contractor

Only specifically approved contractors are allowed to connect new lines or cables to Powerco poles or pillars.  They will need to know the address details for the property (just like the retailer) and also the size of the electrical load you are going to connect.  If you need help to work out the size of the load your electrician should be able to help.  Some electricians will even arrange everything with the Powerco approved contractor on your behalf.

The contractor will determine what is required to provide the supply you need and give you a quote for the cost.  They will also obtain approval from Powerco for their proposed design concept, and notify you if we have any special requirements, such as easements, etc.

You may ask for quotes from more than one Powerco approved contractor, so that you can be confident you are getting a fair price and good customer service.

To access a list of Powerco approved contractors for the Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu and Wairarapa regions click here

To access a list of Powerco approved contractors for the Coromandel, Waikato, Hauraki, Western Bay of Plenty regions click here

Step 3 Your Powerco Approved Contractor Completes the Work Required

Once you have told your Powerco approved contractor to start, they will let us know and we will create a new ICP for the connection and send it to your nominated retailer.  The contractor will make any upgrades required on the network and connect your new service line or cable at the pole or pillar.  When they have completed all the necessary work they will let us know and we will authorise your retailer to liven the property.

Step 4 Your Retailer Installs the Meter and Livens the Connection

Electricity retailers have contractors who are approved by Powerco to liven new connections once certain conditions have been met.  For example, the connection to the network must have been done by a Powerco approved contractor, an ICP must be ready for the address, meters must be installed, and a Certificate of Compliance must be issued and signed by your electrician to certify that the site is electrically safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below we have listed answers to commonly asked questions that relate to new electricity connections.  The electricity industry also has some special terms that you may not be familiar with.  Many of these are mentioned in legislation or regulations that provide the ultimate definitions, but here we have given some simple explanations for common terms you will hear in relation to new connections.

How much does it cost to get a new connection?
The cost will vary depending on how much work needs to be done to make the connection.  A Powerco Approved Contractor (PAC) will be able to work out what is required and give you a quote for the work.

Can I get more than one contractor to quote for the new connection work?
Yes.  You can get quotes from as many Powerco Approved Contractors as you wish.

Can my electrician connect the service main to the network?
Only Powerco Approved Contractors can make connections or alterations to our networks.  Those contractors are familiar with the special safety requirements associated with the work, and with our standards and procedures for any work on our networks.  Not all electricians are Powerco Approved Contractors.  Energy retailers operating over the Powerco network have lists of Powerco Approved Contractors.

How long will it take to get connected?
This will depend on how much work needs to be done to make the connection and how quickly your Powerco Approved Contractor can start the work.  Ask the contractor to tell you how soon they can have the work finished when they submit their quote.

Can I get a temporary builder's supply?
Yes.  Powerco treats temporary builder's supplies the same as any other new connection.  Often the electrician will install the temporary supply box on the section and arrange for a Powerco Approved Contractor to connect it to the network.  In many cases the temporary supply box is positioned close to the final location of the meter box on the house, so the cable that connects the temporary supply to the Powerco network can also be used to connect the finished house to the network.  This saves work when the house is completed and the temporary supply box is no longer required.

If I pay something towards the network upgrade, do I own it?
Powerco usually takes full ownership of all electricity reticulation in a legal road reserve, and any transformers, whether in road reserve or private property.  Although you may be required to pay something towards the cost of the network upgrade, you will not have any ownership of those assets. 

This is an important point to remember if you are considering buying a property that does not have electricity services provided to the boundary.  Powerco encourages property developers to have a Powerco Approved Contractor install the new network necessary to supply the properties in their subdivisions.  The cost can then be shared across everyone who buys the new lots, rather than the first person to require electricity having to pay to install the network, and everyone else connecting to it later at a much lower cost.

Common Electricity Industry Terms

Cables - Insulated underground conductor used to transport electricity.  Generally consists of an aluminium or copper core with multiple layers of protective insulated covers.

Certificate of Compliance - A certificate issued in accordance with Regulation 39 of the Electricity Regulations 1997, certifying the compliance of an installation, with those regulations.

Consumer - A person or group of people who use electricity.

Energy Retailer - A company set up to sell electricity or gas to consumers connected to line company networks. 

ICP - Installation Control Point.  The point where the supply of electricity to a consumer's property can be isolated from the network, usually by removing a fuselink at a pillar or pole.  Every ICP is identified by a unique number, which will appear on electricity bills from the energy retailer.

Lines - Overhead power lines, generally made of aluminium or copper, which transport electricity.  They are sometimes also referred to as conductors.

Network - Means the assets, lines, and cables, that are owned by Powerco and that form part of the electricity or gas system required to convey electricity or gas to the point of supply for consumers.

Network Company (Distribution Company, Lines Company) - A company that owns the network of lines and cables that transport electricity from the national grid and distribute it to consumers.

Pillars (pods, boxes, plinths and gyros). Boxes are normally green or black plastic. Pillars are usually located on the property boundary or on the roadside. They form a connection point joining the consumer's private underground service cable to the Powerco underground network.

Powerco Approved Contractor (PAC) - An electrical or gas contractor who has been approved by Powerco to perform work on its network.

Service main (service line, service cable) - Overhead lines or underground cables on private property that connect the consumer to the Powerco network.  Service mains, service lines or service cables are owned by, and are the responsibility of, the consumer and do not form part of the Powerco network.