Manitoba Hydro will stop accepting bill payments in person at its offices, including in Steinbach, as of December 4th. Spokesperson Bruce Owen says they are simply following a trend that has developed over the years.

"In 2007, 24 per cent of our customers paid directly at a Manitoba Hydro office. In 2016, that was down to six per cent and we expect that trend to continue."

Owen says most customers are now using services like hydro's 'My Bill' or direct debit through their financial institution to pay their bills. He adds there also continue to be authorized agents in rural Manitoba where hydro bills can be paid in person. Owen says this change has no impact on jobs or office hours at hydro.

"They'll still be open. If people need appointments for things like electrical inspections, for instance, they'll still be open. This has nothing to do with jobs. No jobs will be cut because of this measure. This is just purely because we're seeing less and less customer traffic coming in to pay their bills in person."