(UPDATED April 24, 2013) April 23, 2013 – On April 15, a Windsor, Ont.-handyman was convicted in court of charges related to performing electrical work illegally.

Scott Millis was found guilty on three counts of performing electrical work without an electrical contractor’s licence. The total fine was $6000 for the violations plus a $1500 victim impact surcharge. Under Ontario Regulation 570/05, Licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians, only Licensed Electrical Contractors are permitted to contract to perform electrical work in Ontario.

“Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous players out there who present themselves as being able to do electrical work when they don’t hold the appropriate licence and they don’t follow the rules and regulations,” said Doug Crawford, Electrical Safety Authority (ESA)’s chief public safety officer.

Crawford also said anyone considering hiring someone to do electrical work should follow the three Cs:

• Check to ensure the contractor holds a valid electrical contractor licence (search the database at www.esasafe.com).
• Confirm they are arranging the appropriate inspections from ESA.
• Call ESA at (877) 372-7233 should you suspect someone is misrepresenting themselves.

ESA reminds consumers of the requirement to ensure that anyone you hire to perform electrical work has a valid ECRA/ESA Electrical Contractor Licence. This will ensure that the Electrical Contractor you have hired: is fully insured; uses qualified electricians to perform the electrical work you require; will arrange for permits with ESA; can deliver an ESA Certificate of Inspection; can provide references; will prepare a written cost estimate of the work.