27 Nov 2012

Power company considers compo for poisoned family

6:20 pm on 27 November 2012

A power company that forgot to connect power to a west Auckland house in which a family accidentally poisoned themselves says it might offer them compensation.

A nine-year-old boy, 14-year-old girl and three adults remain in North Shore Hospital in a stable condition on Tuesday after the petrol generator they used for power filled the house with poisonous carbon monoxide fumes.

Powershop says it has not ruled out compensation for its failure to connect the electricity by the time the family moved into the house in the suburb of Massey on Sunday.

Chief executive Ari Sargeant says he will meet with the family once they have recovered.

Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Litherland says police have spoken to the machine's owner and are satisfied that the generator had no faults.

Mr Litherland says early indications are that the house was not fully ventilated, which caused gases to build up.