Understanding overloaded services
As a BC Hydro customer, you’re responsible for ensuring your electricity consumption is within the threshold of your main electrical switch.
Under the Canadian Electrical Code for residential homes with service panels 225 amps or less, the continuous loading shall not exceed 80% of the service capacity. However, intermittent loading between 80% and 100% of service capacity may occur for a maximum of one hour in any two-hour period.
For larger services, continuous loading shall not exceed 80% of the service capacity. However, intermittent loading between 80% and 100% of service capacity may occur for a maximum of three hours in any six-hour period.
Safety risks of overloaded service and the potential for disconnection
Overloaded electrical services create safety risks for building occupants as well as for our employees and the public. This includes the risk of fire and the possibility of causing low voltage issues for neighbouring properties. In addition, overloaded services can damage BC Hydro equipment and lead to costly repairs.
Some common indicators of an overloaded service include:
- Exposed wires
- Melted insulation on wires
- An electricity meter or meter base that is too hot to touch
Due to these safety risks, if a customer’s electricity consumption exceeds 80% of the service capacity, we have the right under the Electric Tariff (Section 7 of the terms and conditions) [PDF, 2.6 MB] to disconnect service without notice.
Determining your electricity use threshold
To help determine what your property’s electrical use threshold is, first check your main switch size. This can be found within the information sticker on your breaker panel. Please remember to always advise us of any upgrades to your electrical service equipment.
A typical residential customer’s electrical main switch is between 100 to 200 amps. The maximum amount of energy (load) customers can use is 80% of the main switch size. For example, if you have a 200 amp service, you must not exceed 38 kilowatt hours (kWh) per hour or 160 amps per conductor.
Please refer to the following chart to understand the thresholds of your service panel;
| Switch size | 80% amperage load (per conductor) | Max kWh per hour (based on 80% of demand) | Max kWh per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100A | 80 | 19 | 460 |
| 125A | 100 | 24 | 576 |
| 150A | 120 | 29 | 690 |
| 200A | 160 | 38 | 920 |
| 400A | 320 | 77 | 1840 |
| 600A | 480 | 115 | 2760 |
If you suspect your service is overloaded, we recommend consulting an electrician. To get more understanding of your consumption, you may want to consider investing in a HydroHome hub. Hubs provide real-time data about your household's electricity use – in kilowatts, and dollars and cents.
Connect with us
If you want to discuss a modification to your connection to increase capacity, please contact our Electric Service Coordination Centre team at 1 877 520 1355. We’re available Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more information, see new connections and modifications.