Rolleston's power, in five facts
Orion runs the lines
Rolleston is in Orion's area, which covers central Canterbury. Orion's 24-hour line is 0800 363 9898. For damaged lines it says keep everyone at least 10 metres away, treat everything as live, and call the Police on 111.
One of the fastest-growing towns in the country
The town counted 9,243 dwellings in 2023, after growing 62.2% in five years. Its median age is 33.6, and 24.7% of residents are under 15. The current expansion began in the 1990s and sped up after the Christchurch earthquakes.
New substations to keep up
Orion is building a West Rolleston zone substation on Burnham School Road because of the town's rapid growth. Its 2024 forecasts expect peak demand to grow strongly in Selwyn, including Rolleston and Lincoln.
Outages here are usually upstream
After the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, near the end of the Greendale Fault, some residents went without power for more than 48 hours. In July 2017 an equipment failure at the Springston grid exit point cut supply to 16,152 connections, Rolleston included, for an average of 55 minutes.
Denser housing on the way
Selwyn District Council says its Medium Density Residential Zone now covers most of Rolleston's residential land. In 2020 it was considering plan changes for a further 4500 houses around the town.
What Rolleston homeowners usually want done
A home EV charger. Gen Less advises a separate sub-circuit, cable rated for the charger and a Type B RCD. WorkSafe says a home's maximum demand should be assessed for a 32 A charger. Orion's connections process covers changing capacity to add a charger, so ask your electrician whether yours needs it.
Solar panels. Orion says no solar may connect to its lines without its written approval, and it recommends your electrician or installer applies for you. Solar PV is high-risk work, so it's independently inspected.
Add-ons to a new build. Extra power points in the garage, outdoor lights, a heated towel rail. New circuits from the switchboard for lighting or power points need RCD protection, which modern boards are set up for.
What a good charger or solar quote should spell out
- Whether your board and supply can take the load, or need upgrading
- The type of RCD protecting the circuit
- Who applies to Orion, and whether approval comes before installation
- The certificates you'll get: an ESC, a CoC, and a Record of Inspection for solar
Our take for a newer Rolleston home
If an EV and solar are both on the list, we'd plan them together, so the board, the cabling and Orion's paperwork are done once. A charger on its own is a smaller job. And keep the electrical plans from your build: they make any add-on quicker to price and wire.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.