Winnipeg Electricity Retailers and Natural Gas Providers
Like the rest of Manitoba, homeowners and businesses in Winnipeg receive the entirety of their electricity from Manitoba Hydro, the province’s sole supplier of electricity. Due to the current regulatory situation in the Manitoba, Winnipeg residents are unable to purchase their electricity from a retail alternative to Manitoba Hydro.
However, it is possible to contract with a retail seller of natural gas. If you choose to purchase your natural gas from a retail supplier, you may be able to significantly reduce your natural gas bills.
Currently, natural gas retailers serving Winnipeg include:
The offerings of these suppliers may vary over time, with rate plans including fixed rate, variable price, monthly fixed plans, and combinations thereof. Some options may be available to residential customers, businesses, or both. To view and compare the rates currently available in your region of Winnipeg, fill out our comparison form above.
Winnipeg Electricity and Natural Gas History
Winnipeg was first founded as an unincorporated village in 1862, near what is now the intersection of Main Street and Portage Avenue. Businesses began to spring up around this settlement, in turn bringing in further waves of settlement. In 1873, Winnipeg was incorporated as a city, with the name “Winnipeg” being officially recognized in 1876.
Given the exceptionally rapid rate of Winnipeg’s growth, it’s unsurprising that there a number of attempts to found energy companies in the city. The most notable of these early companies was the Winnipeg Gas Company, which was incorporated in March of 1873, with the goal of illuminating the city using gas lighting. Unfortunately, it achieved little of note. But the same year, a hotel on Main Street illuminated an electric lamp at the front of the building—the very first electric light in the city—in order to help travelers find their way to the door.
In 1880, the provincial government of Manitoba incorporated the Manitoba Electric & Gas Light Company, tasking it with the goal to supply the province’s residents, including those in Winnipeg, with electricity and natural gas. The next year, the company absorbed the Winnipeg Gas Company, and by the end of the decade it had taken over the entirety of Manitoba’s street lighting. But while much of Winnipeg was illuminated with gas and electric lighting by the turn of the century, very few residences had electric lighting, and fewer still had gas heating.
The first step towards remedying this imbalance occurred with the formation of the City of Winnipeg Hydroelectric System, a municipal utility founded with the express intent of bringing down the extremely high cost of electricity in the city. In 1911, construction was completed on a hydroelectric power plant on the Winnipeg River, at Pointe du Bois. It is readily apparent that Winnipeg Hydro took great care in the design and construction of the Pointe du Bois Generating Station, as the station is still in operation more than 110 years later, making it one of the oldest operating power stations in North America.
Winnipeg Hydro went on become the city’s dedicated supplier of electricity for many years. From 1911 to 1973, residents of the city enjoyed one of the lowest electricity rates in North America—only 3 1/3 cents per kWh. In 2002, Winnipeg Hydro finally closed, with its facilities and operations being absorbed by Manitoba Hydro, which is now the city’s sole supplier of electricity, and its regulated supplier of natural gas services.
What About Water?
According to the City’s website, Winnipeg’s water distribution system is the most expansive (approximately 344 square kilometres) and expensive part of the waterworks system. Since its completion in 1919, its water facility has expanded over the years to deliver an average of 225 million litres of water to approximately 270,000 Winnipeg households and businesses.
These days, the aqueduct carries raw water from Shoal Lake to Deacon Reservoir, the storage reservoir located just east of Winnipeg. There are four open cells at Deacon, which together hold 8.8 billion litres of water, enough to supply Winnipeg for approximately 20 days. The city runs one of the more unique water infrastructures when we talk about treatment technology, distribution reliability, and environmental obligation.
Talking about rates, according to a 2025 article, Winnipeggers are facing another round of water and sewer rate hikes. A new report heading to council proposes raising the water-and-sewer bill for a typical family of four by $44 in 2026 and $68 in 2027, roughly $9 more a month than today. In early 2025, city staff warned the next round of hikes could be much higher – as high as 28.5 per cent in 2026 and 17.3 per cent in 2027.
How to set up a water supply
If you’re moving into a new home, you need to submit a meter reading on the day you move in. If it’s your first home and you don’t have a utility account yet, you need to open one using the online form to submit your water meter readings, report your move, or open a new account. Every household is required to submit at least one accurate water meter reading per year on this form in the “MyUtility” area.
If the case is a construction, alteration, repair, extension, or renewal of a plumbing system, or replacement of water lines, a plumbing permit is required as per the Winnipeg Building By-law. It is possible to check all the details on the websit,e from applying for a plumbing to checking the installation guide.
City of Winnipeg
- In-person address: 510 Main St. – Winnipeg, Manitoba – R3B 1B9
- Website: https://www.winnipeg.ca
- Phone: 311
- Toll-Free: 1-877-311-4974 (4WPG)
