Around 1000 properties were without electricity in Tauranga last night as contractors worked to restore power to Mount Maunganui and Omanu.

A fault in Powerco's network saw customers without power for around four hours.

Many people in Omanu and Mount Maunganui were without power last night.

Powerco Network Operations Manager Phil Marsh says the power went out at about 4.30pm.

Supply was restored to 630 of the properties at 5.20pm.

One customer was in the middle of doing a tattoo when the power went out.

When he called SunLive yesterday, he said he still had an hours work left to do.

Power was eventually restored to all properties around 8pm.

Powerco is New Zealand's second largest electricity and gas distribution utility, with around 420,000 consumers connected to its networks.

Powerco's electricity networks are in Western Bay of Plenty, Thames, Coromandel, Eastern and Southern Waikato, Taranaki, Whanganui, Rangitikei, Manawatu and the Wairarapa.

Its gas pipeline networks are in Taranaki, Hutt Valley, Porirua, Wellington, Horowhenua, Manawatu and Hawke's Bay.