Frequently asked questions about service connections

Restoration work is typically scheduled during the summer months and is dependent upon weather conditions. You can expect to see our crews out between May and October.

Barricades remain on site until restoration has been completed. If restoration has been completed and the barricades are still onsite contact EPCOR at 780-412-4500.

Steel plates may be used on front streets, if required. Please speak with an EPCOR team member onsite if you feel that a plate is needed.

No EPCOR crews are not able to turn on the water at the property. 

All new or renewed private water service lines 40mm (1½ inches) in diameter or larger must be flushed and disinfected before we can turn the water on for construction use and/or public consumption. An accredited laboratory must also perform bacteriological testing on samples taken from the newly installed or renewed service line. 

Here are the steps to follow to get the water turned on: 

1. Contact our water dispatch by phone at 780-412-4500​ ​to temporarily turn on your water to flush and collect samples, then off again. Sampling bottles can be picked up at an accredited laboratory. 

2. Flush the water service with potable water. Remove loose debris and dirt that may have entered during construction until the water runs clear. 

3. After flushing, take a bacteriological sample. The samples must be submitted to an accredited provincial laboratory for analysis. 

4. Email or fax us proof of satisfactory bacteriological test results. Include the exact service location. The test results must be certified, signed and stamped by the owner's consulting engineer or professional technologist. 

5. Once we receive the proper results, request for the water service to be turned on. Please allow for 48 hours advanced notice.​

EPCOR crews will be looking for a physical identifier left by the builder/developer. Typically it is a 2”x4” at the private service line stub that extends above ground to show the location of the service.

Some of the work done by a builder/developer may create extra costs for EPCOR Crews. These include: 

• Kitec tubing being spooled underground
• Private Manholes not pumped out
• Private Sanitary/Storm lines not pumped out
• Garage, Driveway or foundation's built in close proximity to the install location
• EPCOR survey stakes are knocked down
• No physical identifier left by developer for service location
• Backfill is not adequate 

Careful attention to the terms and conditions listed on the service line approval from EPCOR will help a builder/developer minimize additional costs.

To ensure a reliable supply of power, there are clearance requirements for all electrical equipment throughout Alberta. Clearance requirements are set by your local utility and help to ensure vegetation, like trees and bushes, does not grow into powerlines and disrupt electricity services in the area.

Also, for the safety of our employees who need to work in and around the equipment, we ask that access to the equipment is not hindered in anyway by landscaping (i.e. fences, large rocks or boulders, or smaller rocks that some could trip on).

For more information, visit clearance requirements for power equipment.

If the service power line you are requesting be moved is the service line to your property, you have the following options:

1. Relocating the service access point on your home or garage which may include raising the connection point for the power service line.
2. If you are relocating your power service temporarily onto a pole that you or your contractor has installed, you are required to obtain a temporary power service permit with the City of Edmonton. Once construction is complete, power service can be installed onto the new/renovated building as a permanent service.
   
   Note: Depending on site logistics, you may be able to relocate power service during the framing stage of the build. Please discuss this with your contractor(s).

There may be costs associated with the relocation of EPCOR assets.

Contact the City of Edmonton to discuss your plans and if you will require a development permit. Find more information on the City's permitting process.

Once it is determined that you do NOT require a permit, or your development permit has been reviewed, please contact CES@epcor.com regarding the move.

Note: There will be costs associated with the relocation of EPCOR Assets.

Please allow 16 week minimum lead time to for us to review the assets that will be in the way once your build is complete. This time allows us to safely relocate the asset according to EPCOR Standards.

Note: If your new build requires additional power, please apply for a power service upgrade.

You can contact Utility Safety Partners at 1-800-242-3447 or utilitysafety.ca to have the utilities on your property located.

Power lines can be raised within limits set out in the Canadian Electrical Code and EPCOR Customer Connection Guide. 

To raise your service mast, please contact an electrical contractor for this work and to pull the required permits with the City of Edmonton. Homeowners are responsible for everything directly below the service attachment (where the overhead line attaches to the building). 

Note: We require a certain amount of slack in overhead power lines for various reasons (i.e. adverse weather, Alberta Electrical Utility Code).

If trimming your tree or shrub requires you to work within 7 metres of an overhead power line, call us at 780-412-4500 and request a Safety Codes consultation. We can help provide guidance about working safely in close proximity to power lines and other electrical equipment.

If your tree is within 1 m of the service line running from the power pole to your home. Simply fill out the request a tree trimming form or call 780-412-4500. We will temporarily disconnect the power to the service line so that you, or your contractor, can safely trim the tree.

Once you've completed the trimming or removal, give us a call back at 780-412-4500 and well come and reconnect your power.

Find more information regarding tree trimming.

As the property owner, you are responsible for any underground utility service cables that run from your property line up to and including your power meter socket. These lines, most commonly underground cables, would have been installed by the builder or developer when your property was built.

Ordinarily, the electrical service cable to your home operates for many years without a problem—unless a cable fault occurs.

Find more information about homeowner responsibilities and how to repair a cable fault.

Note: EPCOR owns and maintains the power meter at your location.

It is our responsibility to maintain the overhead power service line. However, as the homeowner, you are responsible for preventing any obstructions (e.g. tree or shrub growing within 1 m of the line) to the service line. 

Property owners are responsible for all components attached and within the home besides the meter itself. 

Note: EPCOR also owns and maintains the power meter at your location.

Any costs associated with connecting your site to the electricity grid will be outlined in the estimate provided by your EPCOR representative. Payments for this work can be made by cheque or electronic funds transfer. If you chose to pay by cheque, please make it out to "EPCOR Distribution."

A temporary service can be arranged to allow customers to have power during the construction phase of a project. This type of service is only available for up to 1 year.

If you require temporary services, please refer to the Customer Connection Guide.

For further information on your specific project, contact EDTI Customer Engineering Services at 780-412-3128.

For safety reasons, it is important to notify EPCOR if you are upgrading the electrical system on your site. Knowing your plans allows us to ensure the electrical grid in your area is able to handle the additional usage.

You can set up an appointment for our crew to turn off the power supply at your site, so the upgrade work can be done safely by calling our Customer Care line at 780-412-3288 or email at customercare@epcor.com.  

Designing electrical systems can be complex and many property owners hire a consultant to help them determine what is required. In Alberta, the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) requires EPCOR Distribution and Transmission Inc. to protect customer information.

If a landowner chooses to hire a consultant, the consultant will require access to details of the project and be making decisions about the landowner's electrical system. The Third-Party Authorization form allows EPCOR to provide the consultant with the project details and work with them to make necessary changes to the project on the landowner's behalf.

Before contacting EPCOR, please have a Qualified Electrician or Electrical Contractor complete a service load calculation for your property. This calculation will establish the service size requirements for your property and help us determine if an upgrade is necessary.

If it is determined a service upgrade is necessary, you can apply for power service upgrade here.

The 200A on the EPCOR power meter means that the meter can read up to 200 Amps. It does NOT mean there is a 200A power service coming into your property.

You can check the level of power service coming into your property two ways:

• Check the main breaker on your electrical panel. The number of amperage (the amount of power) coming into your home may be listed on the main breaker switch (e.g. 60 for 60 amps, 100 for 100 amps, etc.). 
• Contact your electrician. They can measure the amount of electricity coming into your home. If you don't have an electrician, the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta has a list of qualified electrical contractors (Members) in the Edmonton area.

To schedule a power service disconnect and/or reconnect, contact our Customer Care team at 780-412-3288 or customercare@epcor.com.

Note: If your power reconnection request is due to a service upgrade, your site will need to pass its power service inspection with the City of Edmonton in order for EPCOR to safely reconnect power.

If your permits have passed the City of Edmonton electrical service inspection and you do NOT have an existing service currently energized, please reach out to the retailer of your choice to initiate having a power meter installed on your home.

If you have an existing power service at your site that is currently energized and are being billed for power, please reach out to EPCOR Customer Care at 780-412-3288 or customercare@epcor.com to schedule a power disconnect of your existing and/or a reconnect of your new power service.

If both lots require power service, ensure your electrician completes a service load calculation for each lot and that you apply for the correct service type with EPCOR. Your electrician or consultant will be able to help you determine which service to apply for.

If the service power line for one lot crosses the property line for the other lot (as shown in the diagram below), a power easement (Utility Right of Way) is required for the lot it is crossing.

Once you have the service calculations, you can apply for power service here.

Here is an example of what a site plan can look like.

It is your responsibility to apply for an Electrical Permit with the City of Edmonton.

During the design and permitting process, EPCOR looks at the best way to support your electricity needs while maintaining power reliability in the area.

Once a design plan is in place, we look at what obstructions or other potential infrastructure is in the area (e.g. roads, pipelines, railway, etc.). From there we obtain permits to build powerlines in the area and make any necessary adjustments resulting from the permitting process.

Here are some common approval requirements and their typical timeframes:

For the safety of everyone at your site and our crews, EPCOR will not connect your location to the electricity grid until we receive notification from the City of Edmonton that your site has passed its electrical inspection.

To check on the status of your permit or inspection, please contact the Inspections Group at 780-454-5048

Note: for customers with 100 or 150 Amp services, you may need to forward the final City of Edmonton electrical inspection report to your EPCOR Representative.

The most significant delays/impacts in the energization of projects are:

• All of the required site drawings are not submitted or there is information missing from the new service request form
• The signed acceptance of quote or payment is not received in a timely manner
• EPCOR has not received a final City of Edmonton electrical service inspection report clearly stating the "Service is acceptable and may be energized"
  • Note: for customers with 100 or 150 Amp services, you may need to forward the final City of Edmonton electrical inspection report to your EPCOR Representative
• You, or your representative, have/has not applied for power service with your chosen electricity retailer
• The site address on your power service application to your retailer does not match the address on the passed electrical service permit
• The site is not accessible for EPCOR crews. See our Site Ready Checklist for more information
• You are in a newly developed area and that area is not yet connected to the EPCOR electricity grid
  • Unfortunately if this is the case, your developer may be responsible for the installation of the transformers before we can connect your site

To extend electrical service to a new site, we need to add equipment onto the electrical system. Depending on your request, we may also need to upgrade service in your area make sure we are able to meet your needs.

We share the cost of adding power distribution and transmission infrastructure with the requesting customer. How much EPCOR invests in new services or upgrades for customers is outlined in Schedule A of our Terms and Conditions for Distribution Connection Services.

Any costs associated with connecting your site to the electrical grid will be outlined in the estimate provided by your EPCOR representative.

Here is what needs to be in place in order for us to be able to connect your electricity service:

• Application for power service from an energy retailer
• A final City of Edmonton electrical service inspection report clearly stating the "Service is acceptable and may be energized"
  
• For ​underground service - backfilling is complete and the underground service conductors/ground plate are NOT exposed
  
• For an overhead service:
  
  • Clear access for a ladder to reach the attachment point on the building
    
  • Trees trimmed or removed prior to requesting service
    
  • Ground plate is NOT exposed
    
• ​Main breaker for the site is in the Open or Off position
  
  
• EPCOR crews have clear access to the front of the electrical equipment (i.e. power pole, transformer, switching cubicles, electrical room, etc.) feeding your site
  • Note: If our crews cannot access the transformer, we cannot energize your site

If your site is an apartment or condo, here is what needs to be in place in order for us to be able to connect your power meter:

• Provide clear access instructions for the building AND electrical room
  

• You must ensure EPCOR receives a copy of the City of Edmonton electrical service permit clearly stating "Service is acceptable and may be energized"

• All breakers in the electrical panel that is located in your suite must be in the Open or Off position

  • NOTE: If we install the meter at your site and detect a power being used at your site (i.e. breaker is in Closed / On position), our crew will install your meter. However, for safety reasons, the breaker for your suite that is in the Meter Room of your building will be left in the "open"/"off" position and it will be your responsibility to gain access to the Meter Room to turn the breaker to the Closed / On position

Note: For primary metered services, there are additional requirements. Please refer to the Power Customer Connection Guide.

Crew access will be coordinated by your EPCOR Representative and could include, but is not limited to, the following specialized crews:

• Pole setting crew
• Construction crew
• Aerial or underground crew
• Metering crew

There are a number of reasons this can occur:

• Our crew may have seen a safety issue that was missed during the electrical inspection. In these instances, we will notify the City of Edmonton Inspector and/or your chosen retailer if this is the case. Most often this is due to incomplete backfilling on site that leaves electrical wires exposed.
• The current address does not match what is on the permit or work request. This can happen if the address was edited or changed after you applied for your electrical permit. It can also happen when the main door is relocated to another side of the building. Unfortunately, you will need to reapply for an electrical permit with the correct address listed. 
• We have not received an "Energize Request" from your chosen electricity retailer. In order for an electrical service to be connected, you must apply to an electricity retailer to receive electricity at your location.

Note:  It can take 3-5 days after we receive this request to energize your site.

• There is debris piled in front of the electrical transformer feeding your site (i.e. Lumber piles, garbage bins, rebar, etc). If our crews cannot access the transformer, they cannot energize your site.
• You are in a newly developed area and that area is not yet connected to the EPCOR electricity grid. Unfortunately if this is the case, the developer may need to contact EPCOR to energize the transformers in your area before we can connect your site.