Building and Renovating 101

Email commercial@nspower.ca to arrange your in-person appointment. Your electrical consultant or engineering firm should have plans ready in advance so we may identify any complex requirements needed during your construction phase. In this initial planning meeting, our Design Review Team will:

• Review your site plans with you to make sure our infrastructure will meet your needs. 
• Get a better understanding of the impact to our system of the new, additional load (which could require a system impact study).
• Identify and discuss any capital costs—such as power line extensions—so you can be fully informed before construction begins. 

Based on this initial consultation, we will advise point of supply based on system requirements. If you would like to investigate alternatives, engineering and design fees may apply.

When you’re ready to get started, contact our Development Team (1-866-527-5500) to book an appointment with one of our Regional Planners. It can take up to three weeks to secure a time slot, so please consider booking early in the process. 

This meeting will help us identify how we will supply temporary power to your project (if required), determine how long the work will take to complete, and begin the process of identifying connection costs. You will also discuss the need for a certified electrician to work with us to supply temporary electricity during construction, apply for wiring permits, and coordinate electrical inspections and what size service you will require. 

Following your conversation with a planner, we’ll provide you with a summary of the conversation including what site preparation is required and outline what your project needs from us. In addition, we ask that you submit your final electrical plans as soon as possible as there is often a 16-20 week lead time if you require a larger transformer.

Under normal circumstances, we supply—free of charge—up to 92 meters of pole and service line installation from an approved attachment point for an overhead installation, or 46 meters underground, or a combination of both. Potential costs could include temporary power connections, rock removal to enable pole installation and inspections. Please note that all quotes are good for 60 days. 

In some cases, the work required is in a Bell/Aliant poling area. In cases such as this, the customer may work directly with Bell as well. Bell contracts NS Power to perform much of the work. If the work required does involve poles owned by Bell/Aliant, there may be charges from Bell/Aliant.

As you work through your specific site requirements—which can include tree trimming, easements, and civil work—be sure to contact our Development team so that we know when you are ready for us to schedule our work for your project. When you are ready and payment has been received, we will begin infrastructure installation to your site.

Your certified electrician should contact our wiring permit centre (or visit us online) to apply for all required wiring permits and coordinate all inspections. There are three possible electrical inspections that could be required based on your project: a rough-in inspection, a service entrance inspection, and the final inspection. 

After all electrical work is completed, a wiring inspector will do a final review of electrical devices' safety and ensure that all plugs, switches and light fixtures are CSA approved. After this inspection is complete and accepted, a final inspection sticker will be applied to your electrical meter.   

If your power requirements are greater in voltage than what can be provided by our overhead transformers, you may require us to install power underground to a pad mounted transformer. This would require additional inspections to examine the safety of the underground duct work and the trench to the transformer.

This includes the work of a metering technician to install your meter (3-phase if required). If you have a multi-res building, meters will need to be ordered (either by you or the tenant) and inspected for each of the units.  

Please allow at least 5 business days post-final inspection for meter installations and permanent power connection. Once your power is on, please call our Development Team at 1-866-527-5500 to have your temporary power disconnected.