 | |
| Industry | Electricity distribution |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Hawkes Bay, Rotorua, Taupō |
Key people | Philip Hocquard (Chair) Jaun Park (CEO) |
| Revenue | $210m[1] |
| $27m[1] | |
| Total assets | $721m[1] |
| Total equity | $343m[1] |
| Parent | Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust |
| Website | www |
Unison Networks Limited (Unison) is an electricity distribution based in Hastings, New Zealand.
Unison owns and manages the electricity lines network in the Hawke's Bay, Rotorua and Taupō regions. The service area covers 12,000 km2.[2] The Unison group also provides electrical, civil, and vegetation contracting services; manufactures electrical products; and operates an insurance company.[1]
History
[edit]Early in the twentieth century, electricity generation and distribution was managed by local councils or municipal departments. An electricity network was established in Hastings in 1912, with a power house in Eastbourne Street. Following changes to national legislation, the Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board was formed in 1924.[3]
In 1993 a new entity, Hawke’s Bay Power Limited (HBPL), owned by the Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust (HBPCT), took over the ownership of the electricity generation and distribution assets of the Hawke's Bay Electric Power Board. The Electricity Industry Reform Act 1998 required the separation of ownership of lines businesses from energy trading businesses.[4][5] In 1998, the energy retail business of HBPL was purchased by Contact Energy and HBPL was renamed as Hawke’s Bay Network Ltd. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions, the company was renamed as Unison Networks Limited (trading as Unison), on 17 April 2003. It remained wholly owned by the HBPCT.[6]
Ownership
[edit]The company is 100% owned by the Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust on behalf of electricity consumers in the Hawke's Bay area. The Trust is made up of five elected Trustees and operates under a Trust Deed.[7] The trust elects trustees every three years, with the most recent election happening in 2024.[8]
Distribution network
[edit]The Unison subtransmission and distribution network is supplied from the national grid via Transpower substations. Seven Transpower grid exit points (GXPs) supply the Unison network: Redclyffe, Fernhill, and Whakatu for Napier-Hastings; Wairakei for Taupo; and Rotorua, Owhata, and Takurenga for Rotorua.
Network statistics
[edit]| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Regulatory asset base | $886 million |
| Line charge revenue | $145.5 million |
| Capital expenditure | $102.6 million |
| Operating expenditure | $50.9 million |
| Customer connections | 119,182 |
| Energy delivered | 1,674 GWh |
| Peak demand | 338 MW |
| Total line length | 9,403 km |
| Distribution and low-voltage overhead lines | 5,072 km |
| Distribution and low-voltage underground cables | 3,831 km |
| Subtransmission lines and cables | 500 km |
| Poles | 65,930 |
| Distribution transformers | 10,383 |
| Zone substation transformers | 60 |
| Average interruption duration (SAIDI) | 208 minutes |
| Average interruption frequency (SAIFI) | 2.50 |
Subsidiaries
[edit]- Unison Contracting Services Limited
- Unison Energy Limited
- Unison Fibre Limited
- Unison Insurance Limited
- ETEL Limited
- RPS Switchgear
- PBA - The High Voltage Experts
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Annual Report 2015". Unison. 4 November 2015.
- ^ "Asset Management Plan 2015" (PDF). Unison. 30 March 2015.
- ^ "Unison's History". Unison.
- ^ Martin, John E, ed. (1998). People, Power and Power Stations: Electric Power Generation in New Zealand 1880–1998 (Second ed.). Wellington: Bridget Williams Books Ltd and Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. p. 325. ISBN 0-908912-98-6.
- ^ "Chronology of New Zealand Electricity Reform". Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. August 2015. p. 13. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ^ "Hastings CBD Heritage Inventory Project: The Municipal Power House" (PDF). Hastings District Council. 30 July 2012. p. 3. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ^ "Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust". Unison. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Final Result for Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust 2024 Election of Trustees" (PDF). Hawke's Bay Power Consumers' Trust. 1 October 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
- ^ "Performance summaries for electricity distributors – Year to 31 March 2024". Commerce Commission. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2025.