Can you contact 111 in an electricity outage?
The 111 Contact Code is designed to support vulnerable consumers in an electricity outage.
An electricity outage will prevent you from using devices that rely on electricity to operate. This includes:
- Landline phones provided over a wireless internet connection.
- Landline phones provided over a fibre internet connection.
- Cordless phones, security systems or medical alarms without built-in batteries.
This may limit your ability to contact 111 in an emergency.
If your landline is provided over a copper internet connection it will continue to work during an electricity outage as long as you have a compatible device.
As a precaution, make sure you have another way to contact 111 in the event of an emergency, such as a charged mobile phone. Remember to keep your device charged and easily accessible.
Who is a Vulnerable Consumer?
Under the 111 Contact Code, we can’t deny or cease supply of a landline service if we know or suspect a consumer is, or may become a vulnerable consumer.
A vulnerable consumer is anyone who:
- has a landline service with Now (excluding broadband only); and
- is at particular risk of requiring 111 emergency services due to health (known medical conditions), personal safety (family violence or protection orders) or disability (sensory or physical impairment) reasons; and
- doesn’t have a way to contact 111 emergency services during an electricity outage, such as a charged mobile phone.
If you meet the criteria above, we'll provide you with a suitable device, at no cost to you. Suitable Device means a device that will work over a continuous 8 hour period without electricity, enabling you to contact 111 should you need to do so.
If you choose not to accept this device, you may not be able to contact 111 in an electricity outage.
How to apply?
Download the Vulnerable Consumer application form.
Download the Vulnerable Customer application form guidelines.
To register as a vulnerable consumer, please download and complete the application form below.
You will need to provide us with evidence to show that you, or someone in your household are at particular risk of requiring the 111 emergency service.
Evidence could include:
- Notice of Potential Medically Dependent Consumer (MDC) from the Electricity Authority which includes a certification from a DHB, private hospital or GP;
- a protection order;
- a letter from a health practitioner (e.g. a GP); or
- documentation of impairment (e.g. an ID card).
Please return the completed form to:
Now NZ Ltd
2 Bridge Street
Ahuriri
Napier
4110
It can take up to 10 business days to process an application once we receive it. Once we have completed that we’ll be in contact with you to let you know the outcome.
If you have any questions (including whether you, or someone you know, may be a vulnerable consumer) you can contact us by calling 0800 438 669. We’re here to help Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 7.00pm.
Have a complaint regarding your application?
At Now, we value customer feedback and take care to address complaints. If you have a complaint about the service you’ve received from Now, please contact us in the first instance.
If you’re not satisfied with Mercury and their rights and obligations under the code, you can refer your complaint the Telecommunications Dispute Resolutions Scheme (TDR). If this complaint concerns a consumer who is not the Mercury customer (someone who ordinarily resides at the customer’s premises), you can refer this on behalf of that consumer. TDR provides a free and independent service for residential and small business customers.
A consumer may make a complaint to the Commerce Commission on 0800 943 600 or via email: contact@comcom.govt.nz regarding our compliance with the Code, but the primary method for making a complaint is to refer the dispute to the Telecommunications Dispute Resolutions Scheme (TDR) on 0508 98 98 98 or via their website.