Electricity was cut off to about 120 homes in Invercargill in the early hours of this morning after a car hit a power pole.
A police spokeswoman confirmed officers were called to the scene on Kew Rd about 2am.
''The road was closed for a time and a tow truck was required for the vehicle,'' she said.
The driver did not suffer any injuries and the power company was notified.
A Powernet spokeswoman said the accident cut the power to about 120 homes initially, however more homes needed to have the power turned off about 9am to make the necessary repairs.
Staff had been working since just after 2am to rectify the situation, she said.
A pole had been reinstated and repairs were made. The power was restored about 1.45pm.
Southland Hospital acting general manager Jo McLeod confirmed the hospital was not affected by the power outage.
''The hospital has generators that automatically respond to provide essential power, in the event a power outage occurs."
