This article was published in February 2020 and may be outdated.
Manitoba Hydro crews work through extreme conditions to ensure you have reliable electric and natural gas service during the winter. Extreme wind chills, excessive snow and snowdrifts can block roads and generally make access to our equipment more difficult. You can help Hydro staff do their jobs safely and quickly by:
- Maintaining walkways and driveways;
- Removing ice and snow from natural gas meters;
- Reporting power outages.
It’s also challenging for meter readers to navigate piles of snow and icy walkways to do their job. Please keep your driveway, walkway, and steps free of ice and snow, and ensure there is a clear path to your natural gas and electric meters.
Even though your natural gas meter and pressure regulator can withstand extreme winter weather, snow and ice on the equipment can create a safety hazard. Buildup on the regulator can block the vent and allow excess gas pressure into your home.
Gently remove the snow with a broom or your mitt. Avoid shovelling or using a snow blower around your meter. If you have difficulty removing the snow or ice from your meter, call Manitoba Hydro at 1-888-624-9376.
Power outages can occur when heavy snow or ice accumulates on power lines, or from high winds knocking trees onto lines or damaging other equipment. If the power goes out, report it online using your smartphone on our outage page. All we need is a phone number linked to your account to assign a crew. If your phone number is not on the account, or if you live in an apartment, please call us at 1-888-624-9376.
If you see a serious emergency situation such as a downed power line, call 911.