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Backup power in Metro Vancouver

Electricians for generators and transfer switches.

41 pros in Metro Vancouver

These electrical contractors serve Metro Vancouver and say on their own websites that they install backup generators, transfer switches or generator hookups. Two things matter here: the windstorm of 20 December 2018, BC Hydro's most damaging, cut power to more than 400,000 customers in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, and BC Hydro says a generator connected to your wiring needs a CSA-approved transfer switch installed under an electrical permit and inspected.

Source: BC Hydro (source, opens in a new tab)

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Before you hire

  1. BC Hydro says a generator hookup needs a CSA-approved transfer switch installed under an electrical permit and passed by the electrical inspector.

    Source: BC Hydro (source, opens in a new tab)

  2. Licensed electrical contractors must show their Technical Safety BC licence number in ads; check it in TSBC’s Find a Licensed Contractor tool.

    Source: Technical Safety BC (source, opens in a new tab)

  3. Strata unit and duplex owners can’t get a homeowner electrical permit: hire a licensed contractor, who applies for it.

    Source: Technical Safety BC (source, opens in a new tab)

Questions about hiring in Metro Vancouver

Who can connect a standby generator to my house?

A licensed electrical contractor. The generator has to reach your wiring through a transfer switch so it can't feed power back into the lines, and the work needs an electrical permit and an inspection. In B.C. a licensed contractor applies for the permit for you; ask to see it before work starts. BC Hydro (source, opens in a new tab)

How do I check an electrician's licence in B.C.?

Licensed contractors must show their Technical Safety BC licence number in their advertising, including their website. Take that number, or the company name, to Technical Safety BC's Find a Licensed Contractor tool and check that the licence is current and covers electrical work before you sign anything. Technical Safety BC (source, opens in a new tab)

What should a generator quote include?

The generator model and size, which circuits it will run, the transfer switch or interlock, the gas line or fuel supply and who does that part, the pad and placement, permits and inspection, start-up and warranty. Get two or three quotes for the same scope so you're comparing like with like.

How long can outages last around Vancouver?

The windstorm of 20 December 2018 left more than 400,000 BC Hydro customers in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley without power; all were restored by 24 December. Plan backup for a few days, not a few hours, if anyone at home depends on power for heat or medical equipment. BC Hydro (source, opens in a new tab)

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