More than 400 Canterbury residents remain without power more than a week after severe winds buffeted the area.
The number of customers affected were "dispersed around the rural region'', electricity company Orion said.
"We are working as hard as we can to get electricity supply back to the few remaining customers without power,'' chief executive Rob Jamieson said.
"Reduction in the number of customers without power isn't quick now as we are well beyond the stage where a repair that takes up most of a crew's day may bring back supply to hundreds of customers. Now such a repair may only bring back a handful, or less, of customers,'' he said.
