Sparkies aim to call you within the hour.
Get matched

Your region

Electricians in Tairāwhiti GisborneOne lines company, a long coast, and big storms.

Firstlight Network runs the power for Gisborne, Wairoa and the East Coast, and its faults line, 0800 206 207, is open 24/7. Powerco bought it on 31 July 2026, but you still call Firstlight. For work inside your home, tell us the job and we'll match you with one licence-checked electrician in Tairāwhiti who does that kind of work.

The local power picture

Firstlight Network: 0800 206 207

Nearly 26,000 customers across 12,000 square kilometres. Besides the local poles and cables, Firstlight owns the high voltage lines that link the East Coast to the national grid, and it posts crew updates on Facebook during big outages.

New owner, same number

Powerco became the owner on 31 July 2026 and intends Firstlight to become Powerco eventually, name included. Until then, outages still go to Firstlight.

Building or adding solar

New connections and alterations need Firstlight's Application for Service form, which your electrician can supply; allow five working days. Solar needs an application before it's connected, and Firstlight says approval of the application isn't permission to connect.

What Gabrielle showed

When Cyclone Gabrielle wrecked the transmission lines in February 2023, Firstlight lost power to all 26,000 connections. Once the region was back on the national grid, around 4,500 customers were still off, and with 19 bridges washed away, crews spent over two weeks reaching cut-off communities. A second 50 kV line to Tokomaru Bay let Firstlight bypass much of the damage and get many Coast communities back sooner.

So plan for a long outage. Think about the freezer, the water pump and anyone who relies on medical equipment, and if that's you, tell your power company and apply for medically dependent consumer status. Thinking about a generator? Talk to an electrician about a safe way to connect it.

Earthquakes, chimneys and older houses

GeoNet says the Hikurangi subduction zone lies about 15 km beneath Gisborne. The magnitude 6.7 quake of 20 December 2007 collapsed three central city buildings and damaged chimneys, windows and walls, and council figures show 1,799 interior damage claims.

After a big shake, look before you switch things back on. Burn marks, a strange smell or crackling at the switchboard: don't touch it, and ring Firstlight. Damaged wiring or fittings inside the house are a job for a licensed electrician.

The council has said it wants to keep the character of the city's old buildings, and its development strategy aims for 5,400 new homes over 30 years, most within existing urban areas. Infill next to an older house usually means checking the existing board and service line before anything is added (new connections).

Paperwork that matters after a storm

The EWRB says your Certificate of Compliance may be needed for an insurance claim or when you sell, so keep every one you get. Before work starts, check the electrician's licence ID against the EWRB public register (how to check a licence). Our Gisborne page has more on the city.

If it were our house in Tairāwhiti

Save 0800 206 207, and keep your certificates with the papers you'd grab in an evacuation. Then deal with the oldest part of the wiring: an older home with no RCDs is worth an electrical inspection before the next big storm, not after it.

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.

Get matched

Pick your area

Cities and towns in Gisborne (Tairāwhiti)

Electricians in GisborneFirstlight's faults line, lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle, quake damage and the electrical jobs Tairāwhiti homes need.

Questions

Straight answers.

Has anything changed now Powerco owns Firstlight?

Not for customers yet. Firstlight says to keep calling its 24/7 faults line, 0800 206 207, to report outages. Powerco plans to bring Firstlight under its own name in time.

Does Firstlight cover Wairoa?

Yes. Firstlight powers Wairoa as well as Gisborne and the East Coast, even though Wairoa is in the Hawke's Bay region.

Related help

Helpful next

Electricians in GisborneFirstlight's faults line, lessons from Cyclone Gabrielle, quake damage and the electrical jobs Tairāwhiti homes need.Electricians in Hawke's BayUnison, Centralines and Firstlight contacts, flood and quake lessons, and finding a sparky in Hawke's Bay.Emergency electricians111, the lines company or an electrician? What to do first in an electrical emergency at home.Electrical inspectionsInspections the law requires and safety checks you choose: who does them, and what you get at the end.Electric shocks and burning smellsShocks, tingling taps, hot power points and burning smells: what to do right now, and who to call.How to check an electrician's licenceThe licence ID, the QR code and the EWRB public register: how to check an electrician before work starts.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with the EWRB, WorkSafe or Tenancy Services if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

Get matched with a sparky