Each year around 40,000 New Zealanders are disconnected from the power supply for non-payment, according to Consumer NZ.  

They are surviving winter in cold, dark homes without access to a warm shower or a homecooked meal – sometimes for months at a time.  

It comes at a time when the main players in the power business are making huge profits - including charging hundreds for reconnections done by the touch of a button.  

So how do we ensure that the lights can stay on for everyone?  

Today on The Front Page, as part of the Herald's Power to the People series, we talk with senior Research Fellow at University of Otago’s Department of Public Health, Kimberley O'Sullivan.  

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills