Frequently Asked Questions

Why does EPCOR need to see landscaping plans? What permits and approvals is EPCOR responsible for on my project? How can I avoid delays with my project? What forms of payment does EPCOR accept for connecting my site to the electrical grid? How do you determine how much it costs to have my site connected to the electrical grid? Has the electrical permit for your location passed inspection? How do I know if my site is ready to be connected to the electricity grid? How do I arrange for a temporary service or residential splice? I am upgrading the electrical services at my location, what does EPCOR need to know? During the construction and energization phases, what EPCOR crews should I expect to see? Why do I need to provide a Third Party Authorization form with my service application? My site has passed its electrical inspection. Why hasn't my electrical service been connected yet?

Why does EPCOR need to see landscaping plans?

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.

What permits and approvals is EPCOR responsible for on my project?

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:

Task	Timeline
Municipality requirements	Up to 4 weeks
Tree or shrub removal	Up to 2 weeks
Pipeline approvals	Up to 4 weeks
Railway crossings	Up to 8 weeks
Land easement	Up to 8 weeks
Notifying other parties of potential power outage during construction	Up to 1 week
Alberta Infrastructure approvals	Up to 8 weeks
Utility locates	Up to 3 weeks

How can I avoid delays with my project?

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.

What forms of payment does EPCOR accept for connecting my site to the electrical grid?

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."

How do you determine how much it costs to have my site connected to the electrical grid?

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.

Has the electrical permit for your location passed inspection?

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, call City of Edmonton Permits at 311.

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.

How do I know if my site is ready to be connected to the electricity grid?

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"
Backfilling is complete and the electrical service wires are 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:

You must ensure EPCOR receives a copy of the City of Edmonton electrical service permit clearly stating "Service is acceptable and may be energized"
Main breaker in your suite is 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 EPCOR Customer Connection Guide.

How do I arrange for a temporary service or residential splice?

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.

I am upgrading the electrical services at my location, what does EPCOR need to know?

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 free of charge, so the upgrade work can be done safely.

To set up an appointment to disconnection service for electrical services 100 amps and below, please contact Meter Operations at (780) 412-3810.
To set up an appointment to disconnection service for electrical services more than 100 amps, please contact Customer Engineering Services at (780) 412-3128.

During the construction and energization phases, what EPCOR crews should I expect to see?

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

Why do I need to provide a Third Party Authorization form with my service application?

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.

My site has passed its electrical inspection. Why hasn't my electrical service been connected yet?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

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