Panel & service upgrades
Most older Victoria homes came with 60 or 100 amp service. Add a heat pump or an EV charger and the panel runs out of room. We upgrade services, replace panels, and deal with BC Hydro and the permit.
When a home needs more service
Most homes built before the 2000s came with 60A or 100A service. That was plenty for the appliances of the day. Add a heat pump, a Level 2 EV charger, and an induction range, and you can run out of capacity fast. The signs are familiar: breakers that trip when a few things run at once, lights that dim, or an electrician telling you there’s no room left in the panel.
We size the new service for what you’re planning to add, not just what’s there now.
What an upgrade involves
A service upgrade is more than swapping a panel. Depending on the home it can include a new meter base, a new mast or underground service, a properly sized main panel, grounding and bonding brought up to current code, and coordination with BC Hydro for the disconnect and reconnect. Depending on where the job is, the permit goes through Technical Safety BC or the City of Victoria. We work out which one applies, pull it, and schedule the inspection so you don’t have to chase it.
Who does what
We pull the permit and book the inspection. We fill out the BC Hydro connection request and deal with them for you. The one thing we need from you is a phone call to BC Hydro with the request number once we have it, to approve their charges and authorize the upgrade. BC Hydro bills their part directly. Everything we do is on our written quote before we start.
Adding a heat pump doesn’t automatically mean a bigger service. We run the load calculation first, and if the existing service can carry it we’ll tell you.
Common upgrades we do
- 100A to 200A: the most common upgrade, and usually enough for a heat pump plus an EV charger.
- 200A to 400A: for larger homes, shops, secondary suites, or multiple EVs.
- Panel replacement: swapping a full, aging, or recalled panel (like a Federal Pioneer Stab-lok) without changing the service size.
- Sub-panels: adding capacity to a garage, shop, or suite.
How we quote it
Service upgrades vary too much to price sight-unseen. We’ll look at your existing service, your panel, and what you’re planning to add, then give you a written quote. Send photos of your panel and meter with your request and we can often tell you a lot before we even visit.
Ready to get started?
Send a photo of your panel and meter with your request and we can tell you a lot before we even visit.