10 May 2024

As it happened: 'Very significant response' narrowly avoids power cuts as temperature drops

9:23 am on 10 May 2024
Frost-nipped blackcurrants and a frosty fencepost in rural Canterbury on Friday.

Transpower is trying to avoid electricity cuts this morning. Photo: RNZ / JEAN EDWARDS

The country has woken to a bitterly cold morning with temperatures dropping as low as -6C in some areas overnight amid threats of power cuts.

Transpower's executive general manager, Chantelle Bramley, told Morning Report there had been an amazing response from New Zealanders to the request to cut back on their power usage on Friday morning.

"As you know, the situation was very tight; we've had really cold weather. We just want to thank New Zealanders for their fantastic response this morning, it has made a huge difference getting us through the morning peak."

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