500 properties left in the darkness

Bethlehem residents went back to the dark ages after severe weather caused a power cut which destroyed dozens of electronics and left property owners reaching for candles.

Powerco said about 50 property owners around Bethlehem and Greerton had reported electrical issues including problems with internal household fittings, burned out power points and damaged smart electricity meters, after a electrical storm on Sunday morning.

Lindsay Martyn of La Colina Pl said they had their microwave, Sky decoder, the garage door opener, an electric door opener and just one of their two televisions affected by the power cut.

"We didn't lose the power as such. A lot of people did, but we just lost the fried appliances," he said.

He said his daughter had her battery charger "fried", and he heard an electrician had about 15 people calling them about just their appliances.

Mary Watson of Hidcote Pl said she was without power from the time of the power cut on Sunday morning, until Monday afternoon.

Mrs Watson had her power metre "smashed" by the incident, her gas heater had blown, and her HRV system was "dead as a dodo".

She had been using candles throughout the night, and had ordered two new gas bottles before realising her gas heater had been affected.

"I heard someone say it was the worst black-out they'd seen," she said.

Bethlehem resident Donna Brown of Townhead Cres posted on a neighbourhood group asking if others had been affected by the power cut.

She said there had been about nine replies of others who had experienced the power cut.

"We could have been worse," Ms Brown said.

She had woken up in the night when the phone began flashing and ran around the house unplugging appliances and electronics. However, they lost a phone charger, the bedside clock, and their son's stereo.

"The initial power pack for our modem has blown itself apart," she said.

They also lost their large freezer, and the heat transfer unit of their heat pump.

Powerco Network operations manager Phil Marsh said severe winds were the cause of the power cut, which affected about 500 properties in Bethlehem.

All power had been restored to those properties by 6am Sunday, he said.

"Powerco is aware that we experienced some severe weather in the area on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, including reports of lightning. However, there is no evidence of a lightning strike on the electricity network."

Mr Marsh said of the 50 calls they had received experiencing issues with internal electrical equipment, many were outside the areas affected by the Bethlehem power cut, and were in fact supplied by other electrical lines.

Check properties:

* Those who sustained property damage should contact a registered electrical inspector to ensure their property was safe and have the earth connection checked. They should contact their insurer or contact Powerco through their website to make a complaint if they felt the issue was network-related. www.powerco.co.nz/about-us/contact-us.