Where to go for power outage information
25 February 2022 at 9:00 am
Orion is the best place to go for the most up to date information about power outages in the Peninsula.
People affected by Orion’s project to refurbish the line from Duvauchelle to Akaroa say it can be hard to keep tabs on the multiple days for power cuts and any changes to the schedule.
Steve Macdonald, Orion General Manager Electricity Network says the process to advise customers about when the power needs to be turned off while crews work can be confusing.
“The established process is for retailers to send a notice to let their customers know in plenty of time when their power is going to be off.
“This is a complicated project with multiple outages and multiple notices, so it can be hard for people to keep track of what’s happening.
“The work is also weather dependent, so things can change at short notice.
“After feedback from some residents, we’d like to let people know Orion is the best source for the most accurate, up to date outage information so they can plan their days.”
Orion says people can access the information it provides on power outages in a range of ways.
“Our website Outages page is updated in near real time, and is a reliable source for accurate information on what’s planned and any changes when the work gets underway.
“If they prefer to talk to a real person, people can also contact our Customer Support team who are based right next to our network controllers, and are ready to take calls day and night, 24/7.
“Customers can also sign-up to our new text notification service and they’ll be sent a text the day before a planned outage as a reminder and if things change,” said Macdonald.
“We don’t want to leave people in the dark about what’s happening and have a dedicated team keeping these sources up to date.”
Orion reports the project is going well, with 66 poles refurbished so far and is on track to be completed by 17 March 2022.
Full details of the project and the locations and timings for the outages can be found on Orion’s website, www.oriongroup.co.nz, or by calling Orion’s Customer Support team on 0800 363 9898 day or night.