Counties Energy maintains critical electricity supply for the community

As the country continues in the Red Light Traffic system, and with an increasing number of Covid-19 cases within the community, lines company Counties Energy is reassuring customers that critical electricity supply will be maintained at all times. The company is working hard within stringent safety protocols to maintain the network to supply safe and reliable power to customers while continuing with their programme of planned works.

With the region experiencing huge growth, new network infrastructure must be constructed to ensure existing customer’s ever-increasing demand for energy is met, and there is capacity for the connection of new customers.

Counties Energy Chief Executive Judy Nicholl says that as the company faces an increase in Covid-19 cases within the community, and possibly within their workforce, they are working to their business continuity pandemic plan to ensure essential power supplies are maintained throughout our region.

“We’re reassuring our community that we’re confident in our planning and procedures and critical electricity supplies will be maintained throughout any large Covid-19 outbreak. It’s essential that we continue at this stage with our works programme, including planned outages, assessing the situation daily within our region.

 “At the point where we may have large numbers of Covid-19 cases within our community, or our workforce is impacted, we will halt all but essential works such as faults and safety work.  Our workforce is highly vaccinated and well-practiced at working within all Ministry of Health guidelines at all times while working to keep our power flowing.”

The company maintains that it is essential they continue with their planned works programme for as long as possible as the region faces serious network reliability consequences and a major bottleneck of construction projects if they do not continue for as long as they can safely do so. They will be minimising disruption to their community, safeguarding their essential workers and ensuring critical power supplies are maintained at all times. Extensive planning has been undertaken to focus crews on work not requiring shutdowns as a priority, however there is a necessity for some essential works to be undertaken.

The company appreciates and acknowledge that shutdowns are difficult for customers who may be self-isolating at home, and is working hard to minimise disruption wherever possible and that shutdown lengths are kept to an absolute minimum.

“While our works program including shutdowns is currently continuing as planned, we’re actively taking measures to ensure we have sufficient resource to cover our essential services around safety and fault response as our first priority.  This may result in planned shutdown works being cancelled or delayed at short notice as we follow Ministry of Health guidelines.  We’ll keep our community updated and provide information as early as we possibly can while this situation evolves,” Ms Nicholl says.

Customers will be advised of any changes to their power or of cancellation of planned outages. This will be communicated to customers via the Outage Hub, Facebook and direct communications via our notification systems.

The community can work and school from home during a planned power outage – check out our handy tips here – www.countiesenergy.co.nz/outages-tips. Charging batteries prior, hot-spotting when you need the internet and power packs are simple ways you and your family can manage.

View planned and unplanned outages 24/7 on the Outage Hub – app.countiesenergy.co.nz.