Staying informed during outages in Indigenous communities
It's not always easy to know what to do or who to contact when there's a power failure.
There are different ways of reaching Hydro-Québec, depending on the situation and where you live.
Who to contact in the event of an outage
If your community is connected to the main grid
or 1 800 790-2424
The main grid, which comprises thousands of kilometres of power lines, supplies the vast majority of Hydro-Québec's customers.
If you have Internet access, you can signal an outage and monitor its development online at any time from your mobile device, tablet or laptop computer.
If your community is powered by an off-grid system
1 800 463-1109
Some 20 communities in Québec are served by off-grid systems, whose power generation, transmission and distribution facilities are not connected to the main grid.
If you live in one of the 14 northern villages of Nunavik, Whapmagoostui, Pakuashipi, Matimekosh, Kawawachikamach or Opitciwan, your community is served by an off-grid system.
If your local radio station remains operative during the outage, you can monitor the situation by listening to a battery-operated radio.
In the event of a prolonged outage, consider your safety and that of your loved ones first! For information or assistance, contact your local public safety department, which will remain in direct contact with a Hydro-Québec representative until service is restored.
Distinguishing between an outage and a planned service interruption
A power outage is an unforeseen event that generally results from an equipment failure or other incident in the electrical system.
A planned service interruption is when the electricity service is deliberately stopped so that work can be carried out in complete safety. All customers affected by a planned service interruption are informed in advance by an automated phone call so that they can take appropriate measures.