When you know there will be a planned service interruption, take the following measures to ensure your comfort while the power is out:
- In winter, the room temperature can become uncomfortable when the heating is off. Although most planned service interruptions are short in duration, for increased comfort, preheat your home by increasing the temperature setting on your thermostats by a few degrees about one hour before the planned service interruption.
- Charge the batteries in your electronic devices in advance so you can use them for work or entertainment during the planned service interruption.
- Consider downloading movies, music or documents for work or school before the planned service interruption. Residential modems require an electrical supply to ensure they are connected to the Internet.
- To maintain the temperature of the refrigerator or freezer, plan your snacks so that you won’t have to open the fridge or freezer doors unnecessarily.
- Track the status of the work from the Power outages online service or with our mobile app.
Planned service interruption
A planned service interruption is the voluntary interruption of the electrical supply at a set time so that crews can carry out work safely. Customers are notified a few days in advance and can track the status of the work from our Power outages online service or with our mobile app.
Follow these tips to handle a power outage:
- Draw up a list of emergency numbers, as well as the Hydro-Québec number for reporting power outages (1 800 790-2424).
- Have a battery-powered radio or a portable charger for mobile devices so you can monitor the situation from the Ongoing outages page or with our mobile app in the event of a widespread power outage.
- Put together an emergency kit and keep it handy. Check regularly to see that it’s always fully stocked and in good condition.
- Keep a battery-powered flashlight in your emergency kit to avoid using candles, which are a fire hazard.
- Have a backup power supply or a temporary place to stay lined up for anyone who relies on a life-support device.
- Download the Hydro-Québec app to track outages and make sure you receive notifications to keep you up to date.
What your emergency kit should contain
Because you will need to access it during an outage, keep it handy and inform other residents. Your kit should always contain the following items:
- Flashlight
- Spare batteries
- First-aid supplies
- Supplies for people with special needs
- Battery-powered radio or portable charger
- Warm blankets
- Non-perishable food
- Copy of your list of telephone numbers – home and business
- Games, books or other pastimes to entertain everyone until service is restored
Follow the suggestions offered by the government of Québec and the government of Canada. They could come in handy, even if you never have a power outage.
The Direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la sécurité incendie du Québec also provides useful information on how to prepare for various emergency situations, including power outages.
What should you do during an outage?
An outage can occur at any time of the year. Read our tips on how to handle the situation.
Portable charger
A portable charger is a small device that can be transported easily and be used to charge batteries of different mobile electronics or supply them directly with stored electrical energy when necessary.