Business owners in Milson have had their patience exhausted, after the cancellation of planned power cuts threw rosters into disarray and hit one business in the pocket after it rented generators it did not need.

And the problems may not be over yet, as the cuts will be rescheduled.

Powerco had said it would cut power to parts of the Palmerston North suburb on Wednesday last week, yesterday morning and this Friday.

The cut took place on the Wednesday, but Milson Export Meat Warehouse owner Malcolm Dempsey said yesterday's did not happen.

He rang his power company, which said all remaining cuts had been cancelled.

"They said they were not going to do it today, or the reserve days, or Friday."

Dealing with the cuts was a problem but so was having them cancelled at short notice, Mr Dempsey said.

"We have arranged staffing here, and we've had to change everything all around."

Deliveries would also have to be rearranged.

Mr Dempsey said all communication relating to the cuts had been poor. "It's hopeless. It's what has been going on all along."

Vautier Pharmacy manager Karlyn Eales said the pharmacy had to be open to give medication to people, so organised a generator and someone to install it.

"We paid for this electrician to come along and set it up, hang lots of lights.

"Staff had to come in early for this."

The electrician was visibly annoyed at finding out that the work had been a waste of time, Ms Eales said.

"They were here for a few hours setting up."

A Powerco spokesman said the cuts would be rescheduled for later in the month.

The company was looking to move the planned power cuts to a weekend so they would affect fewer people.

Power providers should have been contacted but the spokesman said he was not certain that had been done.

"I can't confirm that but I expect that we would have."

- © Fairfax NZ News