There are certain situations where it is recommended or required that a Manitoba Hydro customer perform a meter reading for their natural gas or electricity billing. Such reasons might include:
- The meter being inaccessible due to obstructions, or unsafe to access due to a dog or other safety hazard.
- You have signed up as a self-read customer.
- In months where your reading will be estimated, you would prefer that an actual reading be used.
Meter readings may be submitted online, or by calling Manitoba Hydro at 1-800-652-4490. Any discrepancy in the recording of natural gas or electricity meters can result in inaccurate billing. Customers with questions regarding this process should contact Manitoba Hydro at 1-888-624-9376.
Reading Your Manitoba Hydro Meter
Between 2006 and 2006, Manitoba Hydro conducted a pilot program for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) meters. These meters which had much of the functionality of smart meters, allowed Manitoba Hydro to retrieve meter readings electronically, rather than having a representative access a meter directly to take a reading.
As of yet, Manitoba Hydro has not chosen to proceed with further installation of AMI meters. There are a total of approximately 5,500 electricity and natural gas AMI meters installed in Winnipeg. The vast majority of Manitoba Hydro’s customers still have traditional style meters. Reading these meters is simple, but can cause some initial confusion.
Manitoba Hydro meters use an old-style dial display, with four or five clock-like dials in a row. To reach each dial, simply look at each dial arm, and record the number that the arm is pointing at. If a dial is pointing between two numbers, record the lower of the two numbers.
You may see that each dial has a label on it, saying “10 thousand,” “1 million,” and so on. This is because each dial, depending on its position, represents a different place value. But don’t worry about it. Simply record the series of numbers, and report the reading to Manitoba Hydro.
If you’re still uncertain as to how to read your meter, Energyrates.ca has an in-depth blog post on how to read an old-style energy meter, complete with quizzes to test your skills.
