Code & permits
Do I need an ESA permit for electrical work in Ontario?
What a notification of work is, who has to file it, what the inspection covers, and why the Certificate of Inspection matters when you sell or claim.
Blog
Electrical advice for Quinte homeowners
Costs, code, and the questions we get asked on every job. Written by electricians, not by a marketing agency.
Photo — new 200A panel, cover off, circuits labelled
Costs · Latest
What does a panel upgrade cost in Belleville in 2026?
Real ranges for a 100 to 200 amp upgrade and a fuse box replacement, what pushes a job to the top of its range, and three things that surprise people.
· 4 min read
Photo — a Certificate of Inspection on a kitchen table
Photo — a hand at a breaker panel, one breaker tripped
Symptoms
Why does my breaker keep tripping?
Four common causes, which ones you can sort out yourself, and the one that means you should stop what you are doing and call an electrician.
Photo — a scorched receptacle removed from a wall
Symptoms
Warm outlets and burning smells — what to do first
The short version: kill the breaker, stop using the outlet, call someone. The long version explains why this one does not wait until the weekend.
Photo — ceramic knobs on an attic joist, original conductors
Code & permits
Knob and tube wiring and your home insurance
Why Ontario insurers care, what they will accept as a fix, and what a staged rewire actually looks like on an occupied century home.
Photo — a car on the driveway charging from a wall unit
Choosing
Level 1 vs Level 2 EV charging at home
Which one you actually need, what the install involves, and how to find out whether your panel can carry it before you buy the charger.
Reading this because something's wrong?
If it's warm, buzzing or smells like burning plastic, stop reading and call. That one doesn't wait.