An Essential Energy spokeswoman yesterday confirmed her company along with Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy have offered the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade assistance in the emergency response to Cyclone Winston.

At this stage, however, the company "have not been asked to assist with power restoration efforts".

That was despite this week's efforts by the Electrical Trades Union, whose representatives urged Premier Mike Baird to deploy the workers.

The union's secretary Steve Butler maintains there are hundreds of workers "simply sitting in depots" after last year being classified by their employer as "excess to requirements" or "redeployees".

"This being the case, I believe NSW is in a very strong position to offer real and meaningful assistance to the people of Fiji through the quick deployment of a team of highly skilled electrical workers to assist in the re-building [sic] and repair of Fiji's electricity network," Mr Butler wrote on Monday.

An Essential Energy spokeswoman refused to confirm the claim staff were not being given meaningful work.

Union representatives spoke later the same day with their colleagues at the Fiji Electricity Authority, who said 80 per cent of the nation was without power.

This caused Mr Butler to again write to the Premier.

"It was made clear to our representatives on the phone today that an offer of assistance by way of supply of qualified electrical trades people would be greatly received.

"The ETU can confirm that the Fiji electricity network is constructed and maintained to Australian Standards meaning that skills are immediately transferable without the need for any new training."

Request for comment to the Department of Premier and Cabinet went unanswered yesterday, while an Energy Networks Australia spokeswoman could not confirm if DFAT had responded to offers of assistance.

When asked if she would support calls for Essential Energy staff to help in Fiji where appropriate, Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams referred to the coordinating efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

"It is important to ensure that offers of assistance are made through DFAT to make sure the correct assistance is received in a coordinated fashion."