Manitoba Hydro said its potential debt may be paid for, in part, with money from customers’ pockets.

Last week, Hydro announced it was cutting 900 employees, or 15 per cent, of its workforce to help reduce its debt, which could reach $25 billion in the next few years.

However, the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board said it still needs help from other places to balance the books.

A statement last Friday from the board said "double digit annual rate increases would be required for at least 5 years" to put Manitoba Hydro on a proper financial footing.

That’s if the company doesn’t get an equity investment from the provincial government.

In an email statement, Premier Brian Pallister said the government is monitoring Hydro's efforts to address operational costs, and it will "review and consider future plans that the corporation brings forward."

If the province finds a way to help Hydro, rate hikes will still be expected, but not at a rate lower than the already proposed 3.95 per cent expected this year.

Manitoba Hydro explained its chairman is expecting to speak to the province.

However, the government said it's too early to comment on what future plans might be discussed.

Hydro doesn’t know when a rate hike could be expected, but said the increase will be somewhere between 10 and 20 per cent.