Wellington Electricity says it’s sorry work to restore power across Wellington is taking longer than expected.

CEO Greg Skelton said they were behind where they had hoped to be because of the sheer scale of the damage that fallen trees and especially windblown branches have caused.

“At the height of the storm 36 high voltage feeders were damaged cutting the power to 21,000 customers. Numerous low voltages lines and lines to private properties were also damaged at the same time. The extremely gusty nature of the storm appears to have made it extra damaging,” he said.

Mr Skelton said crews from around the country have been working non-stop since the wind dropped enough for them to safely work.

“From initial assessments we thought we were going to get power restored in the Hutt Valley on Saturday evening.

“However, in many jobs we discovered greater damage than we could initially see after trees were cleared and sites made safe to work at. It’s been very frustrating. As of this morning there are about 70 customers still without power in the Hutt Valley. We expect to get power restored to them today.

There are about 260 customers without power in Wellington and Porirua still without power. It is expected their power will be restored by tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. Wellington Electricity teams will be texting and calling customers today before crews go to their properties to confirm next steps.

There will need to be around 150 follow-up jobs by repair crews after Tuesday. Some repairs have been temporary to get the power back-on, and further work will be needed for permanent repairs to be completed.

Wellington Electricity reminds people that where private electrical repairs are needed, for example the power line connection to a house was damaged, a certificate of compliance must be provided before power can be safely reconnected to that property.

Mr Skelton said he thanks customers for their patience.

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