Northpower Latest news & updates from around our Network Reminder about service line safety on farm Rural Northland landowners are reminded of their responsibilities around the upkeep of powerlines, poles and underground cables that supply electricity from the Northpower electricity networks to their property. "Have a look at your service lines and think - does it look right? If you have any concerns at all give us a call" says Northpower Customer Excellence Manager Rachel Wansbone. Northpower also offers free safety disconnects to landowners who need to clear vegetation around their lines. In case of fire, phone 111 immediately to report the location. "It is worth keeping on top of any need for repairs before the situation becomes dangerous and expensive to fix and to minimise the risk of someone being electrocuted. Work on your service 1 recently worked with Northpower to get line does not need to be completed by Northpower, electricity disconnected so I could clear trees you can use your electrician or a contractor, we can put you in touch with the right people to help." The obligations of land owners and safety sentiments are backed by Federated Farmers Northland President Colin Hannah. These service lines are the overhead or underground powerlines that generally run from a property boundary, road or street to your house or other farm infrastructure. Service lines are owned by the landowner, so the responsibility of upkeep sits with the landowner. Northpower are asking rural property owners to regularly check their service lines to ensure they are in good condition, and do not pose a safety hazard or fire risk. "We regularly do safety inspections on our network lines and if we find any unsafe service lines, we'll contact the property owner and let them know what work is needed to make them safe. In some situations the lines are so unsafe that we have no under lines on my boundary and across a paddock to my pump house. I was well aware it was my obligation but also in my interests from a safety perspective - for myself and any contractors," says Mr Hannah. "We will be working hard throughout the year to spread the world to Northlanders working the land to reinforce the electricity safety messages being put out by Northpower and Top Energy. When you consider farmers can have multiple electricity connections to assets like woolsheds. cowsheds, water pumps, implement sheds, homes and workers quarters, there is plenty we need to keep an eye on." If unsure of the condition of service lines, people should phone their electrician to have the lines professionally assessed. choice but to immediately disconnect them. This is something we would like to avoid by helping ensure that service lines are kept in good condition by the land owners. Things to look out for on service lines are: Poles and cross arms - older wooden poles and cross arms can degrade over time. Is the pole thinning and cracking? Is it still standing straight? Cross arms can look thinner in places as the wood rots, or become crooked and less secure on the pole. Insulators - are insulators in place for all lines and Other things are the lines sitting on top of the insulators or have to look out for: they fallen off onto the cross arms. Fire can sometimes be caused by trees or bamboo touching powerlines. Property owners must have trees and vegetation within four metres of Northpower's overhead powerlines removed by an authorised arborist. Is vegetation in the lines, which can be a safety hazard. If your service line has leaning poles, low hanging lines, crooked cross arms or shows signs of damage, phone us on 0800 667 847. Call Northpower on 0800 10 40 40 for advice if you have any concerns. Check the point where Frayed or sagging lines Look for signs of rotten wood on break easily, especially crossarms, check whether your in high winds. Keep trees away from powerlines - they can cause the service line enters anything from flickering to a total outage. poles are rotting at the base. your house - is the line old, repaired or frayed? General enquiries: 0800 66 78 47 northpower.com Find us on For power and hot water faults: 0800 10 40 40 Northpower Latest news & updates from around our Network Reminder about service line safety on farm Rural Northland landowners are reminded of their responsibilities around the upkeep of powerlines, poles and underground cables that supply electricity from the Northpower electricity networks to their property. "Have a look at your service lines and think - does it look right? If you have any concerns at all give us a call" says Northpower Customer Excellence Manager Rachel Wansbone. Northpower also offers free safety disconnects to landowners who need to clear vegetation around their lines. In case of fire, phone 111 immediately to report the location. "It is worth keeping on top of any need for repairs before the situation becomes dangerous and expensive to fix and to minimise the risk of someone being electrocuted. Work on your service 1 recently worked with Northpower to get line does not need to be completed by Northpower, electricity disconnected so I could clear trees you can use your electrician or a contractor, we can put you in touch with the right people to help." The obligations of land owners and safety sentiments are backed by Federated Farmers Northland President Colin Hannah. These service lines are the overhead or underground powerlines that generally run from a property boundary, road or street to your house or other farm infrastructure. Service lines are owned by the landowner, so the responsibility of upkeep sits with the landowner. Northpower are asking rural property owners to regularly check their service lines to ensure they are in good condition, and do not pose a safety hazard or fire risk. "We regularly do safety inspections on our network lines and if we find any unsafe service lines, we'll contact the property owner and let them know what work is needed to make them safe. In some situations the lines are so unsafe that we have no under lines on my boundary and across a paddock to my pump house. I was well aware it was my obligation but also in my interests from a safety perspective - for myself and any contractors," says Mr Hannah. "We will be working hard throughout the year to spread the world to Northlanders working the land to reinforce the electricity safety messages being put out by Northpower and Top Energy. When you consider farmers can have multiple electricity connections to assets like woolsheds. cowsheds, water pumps, implement sheds, homes and workers quarters, there is plenty we need to keep an eye on." If unsure of the condition of service lines, people should phone their electrician to have the lines professionally assessed. choice but to immediately disconnect them. This is something we would like to avoid by helping ensure that service lines are kept in good condition by the land owners. Things to look out for on service lines are: Poles and cross arms - older wooden poles and cross arms can degrade over time. Is the pole thinning and cracking? Is it still standing straight? Cross arms can look thinner in places as the wood rots, or become crooked and less secure on the pole. Insulators - are insulators in place for all lines and Other things are the lines sitting on top of the insulators or have to look out for: they fallen off onto the cross arms. Fire can sometimes be caused by trees or bamboo touching powerlines. Property owners must have trees and vegetation within four metres of Northpower's overhead powerlines removed by an authorised arborist. Is vegetation in the lines, which can be a safety hazard. If your service line has leaning poles, low hanging lines, crooked cross arms or shows signs of damage, phone us on 0800 667 847. Call Northpower on 0800 10 40 40 for advice if you have any concerns. Check the point where Frayed or sagging lines Look for signs of rotten wood on break easily, especially crossarms, check whether your in high winds. Keep trees away from powerlines - they can cause the service line enters anything from flickering to a total outage. poles are rotting at the base. your house - is the line old, repaired or frayed? General enquiries: 0800 66 78 47 northpower.com Find us on For power and hot water faults: 0800 10 40 40