Wind, rain and 146 callouts: How we kept the lights on over Christmas

Every December, when most people begin to wind down and switch off for the year, on-call crews from lines companies across Aotearoa switch on to ensure the power stays on too.

On call 24/7, fault staff are ready to respond to initial customer calls, such as no power or faulty equipment. If they cannot resolve the fault on their own, larger line crews and even utility arborists are called in to repair damage so customers can enjoy their holidays.

This year was no different for Waipā Networks, with six fault staff and several lines and utility arborist crews each playing their part in what was a windy and rainy period, attending 146 fault callouts between 19 December and 5 January.

Challenging weather conditions continued into January, keeping crews busy as further faults occurred across the network.

Equipped with a headcam and dashcam, Te Awamutu fault man Ben spent his Christmas and New Year’s Eve responding to multiple faults, covering parts of the network in and around Te Awamutu, Ōhaupō, Pirongia, and Kāwhia.

From climbing poles on Christmas Eve to navigating dirt roads in Kāwhia during stormy weather, Ben gives us a unique insight into just how varied and unpredictable fault response can be.

Whether restoring power in the middle of maize fields or responding to outages in the centre of Te Awamutu township, the footage captured a rare behind-the-scenes look at the challenges faced by on-call crews working in all conditions to keep the lights on.

In one instance, Ben responded to a fault near Kāwhia following severe winds, where a large tree had fallen, snapping a power pole in half. Line crews then spent the next few days working through difficult conditions to replace the pole and safely restore power to the area.

Faults and Event Manager Eric Everiss said he’s proud of the team for their efforts and positive attitudes.

“Unfortunately, electricity faults don’t take holidays, and with more people at home spending time with their families, it’s even more critical for us to be ready to respond and get the power restored quickly and safely.

“Our teams know this, and they respond with a sense of urgency knowing that when they’re done, they can get back to their families too,” he said.

While every team member thrives on the challenge of quickly reconnecting people, workloads and schedules must be managed carefully to ensure everyone’s safety, including the communities that they serve.

“Electricity is dangerous and, if handled incorrectly, can cause serious harm or electrocution resulting in a fatality. That’s why our teams need to be rested and ready when the call comes in. To do this, we run a flexible roster that includes first responders like Ben, line crews, and arborist teams called in if required, and people to manage the teams and work schedules.”

“This doesn’t include the after-hours customer service team that manages all of our outages after hours and over holiday periods,” said Everiss.

Once again, Eric extends a sincere thank you to the on-call crews, support staff and their families for their commitment over the holiday period, and to the customers across the network for their patience and understanding while faults were safely resolved.

It’s this shared effort that helps keep power flowing when it matters most.