KEY POINTS:
A power saving campaign is ready to be launched on television this weekend, but Energy Minister David Parker says there isn't a crisis and the lights won't go out this winter.
He said today the adverts would be screened unless there was "significant" rainfall between now and Sunday, and going on the best advice the Government had there was no need for stronger measures at this time.
"Power cuts are not even an unlikely prospect," he said at a press conference.
"There haven't been any power cuts in New Zealand since the 1970s and we don't think there will be any this year."
Mr Parker said a power saving target was not being set at this stage.
"We're certainly not asking the sick and the elderly to turn off their heaters," he said.
"We're not calling for people to turn off all their heated towel rails, but we would like them to think about whether they should leave them on overnight.
"It's not a crisis, it's just another step along the way when you have a dry winter."
The energy saving measures are being taken because hydro lake levels are low.
But Mr Parker said even though there was less water going into the lakes than there was at this time of the year in 1992 - the last really dry year - lake levels were higher.
"That shows we're doing better, because it's better managed than it used to be," he said.
"There are various levels of contingency in the system, and obviously if you save a bit of power now by being prudent it actually gives you an extra layer of contingency."
The television campaign is being paid for by the electricity industry, and Transpower chief executive Patrick Strange said it would be aimed at domestic, commercial and industrial users.
"As an industry we are very concerned, we are risk adverse," he said at the press conference.
"We're reasonably hopeful that with all that's been done we will get through this winter.
"But it's just prudent for us to step up the awareness campaign and get the simple things done in the home and in businesses."
Dr Strange said it was about guarding against the totally unexpected.
"All the prospects for weather says we should be alright...but we can't guarantee we're not going to get the drought that we've never had in 71 years, we can't guarantee we're not going to lose a major plant for an extended period of time.
"Both are unlikely, but it's prudent to guard against those things."
- NZPA
