Can your panel handle what you're adding?
Before you buy an EV charger, a hot tub or a heat pump, find out whether your service can carry it. Answers in about thirty seconds, based on the Canadian Electrical Code method — no form, no email.
The number on your main breaker. Not sure? Pick 100A — it's the most common in the GTA.
You'll likely need a service upgrade first
The estimate comes to about 123A, which is beyond a 100A service (123%). A 200A upgrade is the usual fix and takes a day, permit and certificate included. Load management can sometimes avoid it — worth a conversation either way.
This is an estimate based on the CEC single-dwelling method. It doesn't account for load management, interlocks or your actual equipment nameplates — a licensed electrician confirms the real number on site, and we do that free with any quote.
About load calculations
Can a 100A panel handle an EV charger?
Very often yes. A typical GTA home on 100A with gas heat and a gas range has enough headroom for a 32A or 40A charger. Where it gets tight is electric heat, an electric range and an EV charger together. The calculator above gives you a fast answer, and load management can frequently avoid an upgrade even when the raw numbers look close.
What is a load calculation and why does it matter?
It is the Canadian Electrical Code method for working out how much current a home actually demands, accounting for the fact that not everything runs at once. Section 8 requires one before adding a significant load. Skipping it is how people end up with nuisance trips, overheated conductors, and an ESA inspection they fail.
How accurate is this calculator?
It follows the single-dwelling method in CEC Rule 8-200 and will be directionally right for most homes. It does not know your actual equipment nameplates, whether your heating and cooling are interlocked, or whether an energy management system is in play. Treat it as a fast sanity check — we confirm the real number on site, free, with any quote.
What if the calculator says I need an upgrade?
You have two paths. A 200A service upgrade is the permanent fix — one day on site, from $2,450 with the ESA permit and certificate included. Or an energy management system can let a charger share capacity with other loads, which is cheaper but caps your charging speed at busy times. We will tell you honestly which one your situation calls for.