Power Restoration
Maintaining a reliable supply of power is our top priority. When the power goes out — whether in one neighbourhood or in areas around the province — we assess the total damage and work to restore it in this order:
- To ensure public safety, we locate downed power lines, secure the site, and turn the power off.
- Always assume that downed power lines are energized and dangerous, even if they look like they're no longer connected to the pole. Stay away from them.
- If you see a downed power line, immediately call 480-5900 in Winnipeg; 1-888-624-9376 (1-888-MBHYDRO) outside Winnipeg.
- Transmission lines and substations are the first to be restored. Transmission lines are the major lines that supply power from the source to large geographic areas (cities and towns). They run into substations where their high voltages are reduced and sent out to customers via distribution lines.
- High priority is given to restoring service to essential facilities, including hospitals, police, fire and rescue, communication facilities, and water pumping stations.
- Our next priority is to get the largest number of customers back on as quickly as possible. We concentrate on neighbourhoods, businesses, industrial, and agricultural facilities. Then we restore service to small groups of customers and single residences.
- In major storms, some areas may be inaccessible to our crews due to ice, floods, fallen trees, or other safety issues. That could mean some customers have to wait longer for power to be restored while we work to clear these areas.
Why does my neighbour have power and I still don't?
Not all circuits are restored at the same time. Different parts of a neighbourhood – even houses on the same street – may be served by different circuits.
