Almost 100,000 people were initially cut off when a single Transpower pylon toppled just north of Auckland, as maintenance crews worked on it.
While most properties now have their power restored, hot water has been shut off in a bid to save electricity. The grid failure is being described as the worst since Cyclone Gabrielle.
So far this morning, there's no official word on why the tower toppled - and the Energy Minister Simeon Brown will inspect the site - saying explanations are a top priority.
RNZ's Northland reporter Peter de Graaf has been travelling across the district - he's currently in the Bay of Islands.
Transpower says a pylon falling over is the cause of the outage. Photo: Supplied / Kawakawa Electrical Ltd
