Before the Storm
The time to prepare for an outage is before the storm hits.
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Our emergency line is available 24 hours a day.
Montana: 888-467-2669 | South Dakota/Nebraska: 800-245-6977 | In case of a life-threatening emergency, dial 911.
After a storm, check to make sure you and your family are safe. Assure that pets are safe and warm, and walk around your property and assess for damage.
- Go to a designated public shelter if your home loses power or heat during periods of extreme cold.
- Help people who require special assistance such as elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and children.
- Check on your animals and make sure that their access to food and water is not blocked by snow drifts, ice or other obstacles. If possible, bring them indoors.
- Walk around your house and make sure your electric and gas meter are clear of snow and ice.
- Shovel a path to your meter. This allows us to access it in an emergency situation.
- Use a soft broom or a gloved hand to remove snow and ice from your meters. Never use a shovel, pick or flame.
- Be sure the regulator on your gas meter is clear of snow and ice. Check to make sure other vents are clear.
Keep gas meters clear of snow
After a storm, it's important to make sure your natural gas meter is clear of snow and ice so the flow of natural gas into the home can be regulated properly. Also, be sure to shovel a path to your meter.
Let your family know you’re safe – if your community experiences a severe winter storm, or any disaster, register on the American Red Cross Safe and Well web site available through www.RedCross.org to let your family and friends know about your welfare. If you don’t have internet access, call 1-866-438-4637 to register yourself and your family.
Check your meter mast and base after a major storm
Check your meter mast and base after a major storm
Heavy windstorms can damage the meter bases and masts on customers’ homes and buildings.
If a customer’s meter base is damaged, the property owner needs to contact an electrician to make repairs before service can be restored. Even if you can clearly see where a meter base or meter mast is damaged, never attempt to make a repair on your down. Up to 240 volts of electricity in a service line could cause severe injury and could start a fire. Repairs can only be made by a licensed electrician.
For Montana customers, Energy Share is available for qualifying customers with energy emergencies that may need financial assistance. Customers should contact their local HRDC office for more information.
Emergency Outage Kit
Prepare for a power outage before the storm hits by creating an emergency outage kit.
Emergency Resources
State and national organizations offer resources during an emergency.
Life Support and Outages
Power is especially critical to customers who use life-support devices.
What are my responsibilities as a natural gas home/property owner?
The maintenance of buried gas piping downstream of the gas meter to gas-fired appliances or other structures on the property is the responsibility of the home/property owner or current occupant.
NorthWestern Energy is required to inform customers with privately owned natural gas or propane service lines of their responsibility to inspect and maintain their piping (Code of Federal Regulations 49 CFR 192.16). Customers should have the pipes periodically inspected for leaks, and metallic pipes should also be inspected for corrosion by qualified professionals, such as your local plumber. Any unsafe conditions should be repaired immediately, or the flow of gas should be shut off.
Visit Natural Gas Safety to learn more.
What should I do if I recognize a gas pipeline leak?
Call 911, if you notice any of these signs of a pipeline leak:
• An unusual blowing or hissing sound coming from the ground.
• Dirt or dust blowing from a hole in the ground.
• Bubbling ponds.
• Dead or discolored vegetation in an otherwise green area near a pipeline right of way.
• A fire close to a buried pipeline.
Visit Natural Gas Safety to learn more.
How to clear my natural gas meter?
- Walk around your house and make sure your electric and gas meter are clear of snow and ice. Shovel a path to your meter. This allows us to access it in an emergency situation.
- Use a soft broom or a gloved hand to remove snow and ice from your meters. Never use a shovel, pick or flame.
- Be sure the regulator on your gas meter is clear of snow and ice. Check to make sure other vents are clear.
Visit Natural Gas Safety to learn more.
What to do if you smell natural gas?
NorthWestern Energy makes it easy for you to detect natural gas leaks by adding an unpleasant rotten egg or skunk-like smell to natural gas. If you smell this odor:
- Get away. Leave the area immediately.
- Don't create a spark. Do not use phones, matches, light switches or anything else that could trigger the ignition of the gas.
- When at a safe distance, call 911.
Visit Natural Gas Safety to learn more.
My power is out and I'm worried the food in my fridge or freezer will go bad. What should I do?
Do not open freezers or refrigerators more than necessary. A refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
You can fill empty space in your freezer with perishable items from your refrigerator, which will help keep these items fresh and help your freezer keep it's temperature. You can also fill your freezer with jugs of water or bags of ice.
If the power doesn't come back on after four hours, you may want to consider buying ice and filling a cooler. Move perishable items from your fridge to the cooler. Use a thermometer to make sure the cooler stays below 40 degrees. Add ice as needed.
What should I do if I see a downed power line?
Strong winds, ice and heavy snow can lead to downed power lines. If you see a downed or damaged power line, keep your distance and call 911 immediately.
Never touch a power line or any object, including trees, that is in contact with a line. Remember:
- Keep people, equipment and objects at least 30 feet away from power lines.
- Never attempt to remove a fallen tree or branch from a power line. You could be seriously injured or killed.
- If a tree or branch does come in contact with a power line, keep yourself and others away from the tree and call 911 and NorthWestern Energy immediately.
How long does it take to restore power?
This can vary greatly depending on the cause of an outage. Sometimes restoring power is as simple as removing a branch that has fallen on a line. Other times, it might require replacing a pole that was hit by a vehicle or blown over in a storm. Sometimes we can switch customers to a different circuit while we make repairs, greatly reducing outage time. If a major storm knocks down numerous poles and takes out several lines, an outage can last hours or even days.
Our top priority is always the safety of our crews and our customers. While restoring power quickly is our goal, our crews take the time required to make repairs safely.
I don’t have power, but my neighbor does. Why?
Your neighbor’s home may be fed by a different service or distribution line. It’s also possible the cause of the outage is
in your home. Be sure to check your fuses or breaker box.
What should I do if my power goes out?
Check fuses or circuit breakers to rule out problems with electricity inside your home. If there’s not an issue with your fuses or breakers, report the outage to NorthWestern Energy. You can report outages online or by calling:
- 888-467-2669 in Montana or
- 800-245-6977 in South Dakota/Nebraska
You can find up-to-date outage information on our online outage map and on our Facebook page.