Unison Networks, the lines company across Hawke's Bay, Taupō and Rotorua
Unison Networks Limited owns and operates the electricity distribution network across three regions of the central and eastern North Island: Hawke's Bay (Napier, Hastings), Taupō and Rotorua. It serves about 116,000 customers across roughly 9,300 km of lines. Unison is the trading name of the network business of Unison Group.
Unison Group is 100% owned by the Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust, a community trust whose beneficiaries are the customers connected to the Hawke's Bay portion of the network. The trust pays an annual dividend to its beneficiaries.
Three non-contiguous regions with very different network profiles
Unison operates three separate networks. Hawke's Bay is the largest, centred on Napier and Hastings, with a coastal plain, intensive horticulture (apples, kiwifruit, wine) and a growing population. Taupō serves a lakeside town with a tourism-driven peak load. Rotorua mixes urban supply with extensive geothermal areas.
- Around 116,000 customer connections across the three regions.
- Hawke's Bay (Napier, Hastings), Taupō and Rotorua, with no direct geographic link between them.
- Around 9,300 km of distribution lines.
- Major exposure to Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, which caused some of the worst outage events in the company's history.
In January 2024, Unison sold its fibre subsidiary Unison Fibre to Tuatahi First Fibre, refocusing the group on its core electricity distribution business in the three regions. The transfer covers a network of about 700 km of fibre cabling and 3,500 customers across Hawke's Bay and the central North Island.
Why Unison outages happen, from Cyclone Gabrielle to volcanic terrain
Each Unison region has a distinct outage profile. Cyclones and floods dominate in Hawke's Bay. Volcanic terrain and high tourism peaks shape Taupō and Rotorua.
Cyclones and flooding in Hawke's Bay
Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023 cut power to most of Hawke's Bay, damaged hundreds of poles and led to one of the largest restoration efforts in New Zealand electricity history. Subsequent storms in 2023 and 2024 confirmed the region's exposure to ex-tropical systems and east-coast lows.
Trees and forestry around Rotorua
The Rotorua and Taupō networks run alongside extensive exotic pine plantations and native bush. Tree-on-line outages, particularly in winter storms, are a regular cause of unplanned faults.
Volcanic terrain and corrosive geothermal areas
The Rotorua network operates in active geothermal terrain where sulphur and steam attack overhead equipment. Unison runs accelerated asset replacement cycles in the most corrosive zones around Whakarewarewa and Te Puia.
Post-Gabrielle resilience plan and Hawke's Bay rebuild
After Cyclone Gabrielle, Unison launched a multi-year resilience program focused on Hawke's Bay: replacing aging poles with stronger structures, undergrounding selected feeders, increasing tree trimming and strengthening the connection points with Transpower's transmission network.
The Commerce Commission approved an updated regulatory price path that allows Unison to recover storm-related capital expenditure, with line charges expected to rise from April 2026.
Unison outage map, fault line and area alerts
Unison outage map
Unison publishes a near real-time outage map for its three regions. Customers can search by address and see estimated restoration time, the status of the fault and the number of affected properties.
24/7 fault line
For an electricity fault, dial 0800 286 476 (0800 2UNISN). The line is staffed 24/7.
Outage SMS alerts and planned works
Customers can subscribe to text alerts for unplanned outages and planned works in their suburb or rural address. Alerts are particularly relevant ahead of named cyclones and severe weather warnings.
Tuatahi fibre, Chorus and Hawke's Bay internet providers
For a wider view of the New Zealand electricity market, see the New Zealand power outage page. On the same Hawke's Bay, Taupō and Rotorua footprint, fibre is now wholesaled by Tuatahi First Fibre (after the 2024 acquisition of Unison Fibre) and by Chorus in the remaining areas. Retail is shared between Spark, One NZ and 2Degrees.