Compare quotes from vetted, licensed electrical contractors for panel upgrades, EV charger installation, rewiring and heat pump or solar hookups. Solenery shows the rebates your address qualifies for, so you see the whole upgrade before you choose.
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Electrical work in Canada must meet the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (CSA C22.1), as adopted and amended by your province, and most jobs need a permit and an inspection.
Tell us about your property and get quotes from licensed electricians near you for:
For homeowners, rental properties, renovations and new construction.
For offices, retail, warehouses, plants and production lines, where three-phase power, larger services and uptime drive the work.
Larger work often needs a licensed electrical contractor, not just a licensed electrician. In Saskatchewan, for example, TSASK requires a licensed electrical contractor for work over 200 A or 300 V, three-phase systems, EV chargers, generators, battery storage and renewable energy systems.
Small repairs are usually billed by the hour, while panel upgrades and EV chargers are quoted per job. The biggest cost drivers are the size of the upgrade, whether your utility service runs overhead or underground, and how far the new circuit is from the panel. Rebates of up to $350 in BC and $600 in Quebec help with home chargers.
A Level 2 home charger needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit, a permit and a licensed electrician. Older 100 A homes may need a panel upgrade first. BC pays 50% of eligible costs up to $350 and Quebec pays $600 if you own an electric vehicle.
Charger rules, rebates, condo and workplace charging and permits are on our EV charger installation guide.
Canada uses the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (CSA C22.1). The current edition is the 26th, published in 2024. Each province adopts it with its own amendments and on its own schedule. Ontario, for example, uses the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, 29th edition, which has been in force since May 1, 2025.
| Province | Code in force | In force since | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Ontario Electrical Safety Code, 29th ed. (based on CEC 26th ed.) | May 1, 2025 | Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) |
| British Columbia | BC Electrical Code (CEC 26th ed.) | March 4, 2025 | Technical Safety BC |
| Alberta | CEC Part I, 26th ed. | April 1, 2025 | Alberta Municipal Affairs (Safety Codes) |
You may need a panel upgrade when you add a big electrical load, such as a heat pump, an EV charger, solar with a battery, or electric cooking. Homes with older 60 A or 100 A service are the most likely to need one. An electrician decides from a load calculation under the electrical code, not from the panel size alone.
Common triggers:
Rebate programs recognize the link. The federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program covered electrical upgrades needed for a heat pump install until its intake closed on July 31, 2026.
Canada has no general rebate for electrical work. Home EV chargers are the exception: BC pays 50% up to $350 and Quebec $600. Panel upgrades are usually funded as part of a heat pump or solar program, and the federal oil-to-heat-pump program covered them until its intake closed on July 31, 2026.
The Greener Homes Grant is closed to new applicants, the Greener Homes Loan closed on Oct 1, 2025, and the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program stopped taking applications on July 31, 2026. What replaced them: the no-cost Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program for income-qualified households, and the provincial programs below. Read the full rundown.
Homeowners heating with oil
Electrical upgrades needed for the heat pump were covered in the up to $10,000
Source: each program's official page (linked) · as of Sept 22, 2026
Level 2 home charger: 50% of eligible costs, up to $350
BC owners, or tenants with the owner's consent, in a principal residence that is a single-family home, mobile home on a permanent foundation, duplex, triplex, fourplex or side-by-side row home
Open while funding lasts. Program guide dated April 1, 2026. Apply within 6 months of the charger invoice
$600 toward buying and installing a home charging station
Quebec residents who own an electric vehicle
Open
Source: each program's official page (linked) · as of Sept 22, 2026. Amounts change often, so confirm on the official page before you apply. Other provinces: enter your address to see your programs.
Enter your address to see the programs you qualify for and a quick snapshot of your home's energy use. It takes seconds and you don't need to sign up.
Some cities and utilities lend for energy upgrades and collect the repayment on your property tax or utility bill, so you pay nothing up front. A loan has to be paid back with interest, so check the rate and the fees first.
Open to applicants
Open to applicants
Open. Detached or semi-detached homes. Approval is needed before any work starts
Source: each loan's official page (linked) · as of Oct 5, 2026. Loans are repaid with interest, and they're separate from the rebates above. Other cities and utilities run similar programs: enter your address to see the ones near you.
In every province, most electrical work needs a permit or notification and an inspection, arranged by a licensed electrical contractor. The regulator varies: the ESA in Ontario, Technical Safety BC, TSASK in Saskatchewan, Manitoba Hydro or the City of Winnipeg in Manitoba, and Nova Scotia Power in Nova Scotia.
| Province | Who regulates | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) | The contractor holds an ESA Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) number and files the notification for your job |
| British Columbia | Technical Safety BC | The contractor is licensed and takes out the electrical permit |
| Alberta | Safety Codes permits (municipality or accredited agency) | An electrical permit is issued before work starts |
| Quebec | Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) | The contractor holds an RBQ licence for electrical work |
| Saskatchewan | Technical Safety Authority of Saskatchewan (TSASK) | The contractor gives you a copy of the electrical permit before work starts |
| Manitoba | Manitoba Hydro (City of Winnipeg inside city limits) | The permit is filed through ePermits by a licensed journeyperson electrician |
| Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Power Inspection Services | Only a licensed electrical contractor employing a certified construction electrician can get the permit |
Choose a licensed electrical contractor who takes out the permit or files the notification, does a load calculation before quoting a panel upgrade, and puts the scope in writing. Compare at least three quotes that list the panel size, the circuits added and whether the permit and inspection fees are included.
Solenery is a marketplace, not a contractor. We check your incentives first, then help you compare quotes from vetted local pros, so you choose the right electrician with the full cost in view.
Enter your address. EV charger rebates in BC and Quebec, and heat pump or solar programs that cover panel work, each have their own rules.
Each electrician checks your panel and service size and works out whether the new load fits before quoting.
The licensed contractor files the permit or notification with your provincial regulator before starting.
Service upgrades usually need the utility to disconnect and reconnect power, which the contractor books.
The work is done to code and inspected by the regulator or its inspector.
Submit the invoice, permit and charger model before the program deadline.
Step 1 in Solenery: the programs matched to your address
A short explainer on how Solenery matches your rebates and helps you compare contractor quotes.
Retrofits work best in this order. Each step makes the next one smaller or cheaper.
Answers checked against government and official program pages.
Yes, in every province. In Ontario your licensed electrical contractor files a notification with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and the work is inspected. In BC the permit goes through Technical Safety BC, in Saskatchewan through TSASK, and in Nova Scotia through Nova Scotia Power. Ask whether the permit fee is included in your quote.
The Canadian Electrical Code, Part I (CSA C22.1), adopted by each province with its own amendments. The current edition is the 26th (2024). Ontario has used the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, 29th edition, since May 1, 2025, and BC adopted the 26th edition on March 4, 2025.
It depends on a load calculation. Homes with older 60 A or 100 A service often need an upgrade to 200 A before adding a heat pump or Level 2 EV charger. Many 200 A homes don't need one.
Ask for their licence number and check it with the provincial regulator. That's the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) in Ontario, Technical Safety BC in British Columbia, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) in Quebec and TSASK in Saskatchewan. The contractor should also show you the permit before work starts.
Call a licensed electrician if you notice any of these warning signs:
Small jobs are usually billed by the hour, while panel upgrades and EV chargers are quoted per job. The main cost drivers are the size of the upgrade, overhead versus underground service, the length of any new wiring run, and permit fees. Compare at least three written quotes that list the same scope and say whether permits are included.
BC's CleanBC Go Electric program pays 50% of eligible costs, up to $350, for Level 2 chargers at single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer. Quebec's Écorecharge grant pays $600 toward buying and installing a home charger if you own an electric vehicle. Either way, the installation needs a licensed electrician and a permit.
Enter your address to see the programs that fund heat pump, EV and solar upgrades, then compare quotes from licensed electricians near you.
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Last updated: .
Every rebate amount, status and deadline on this page was read on the program's official page and is dated next to it. We re-check each program monthly, because amounts and deadlines change often. Always confirm with the program before you apply.
Facts and figures come from government departments, utilities and safety regulators, linked next to each figure and listed here. We don't publish price ranges: costs depend on your home, so we explain what drives them and let contractors quote.
Solenery is a marketplace. It connects homeowners with contractors and doesn't install anything itself.
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