The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) has received reports that consumers in the Hamilton, St. Catharines and Cambridge areas have been contacted by representatives of a company notifying them that a mandatory electrical inspection is required at their household. A similar scam was reported in other areas of the province – including the Greater Toronto Area – in previous months. These calls and visits are not from the Electrical Safety Authority. The Electrical Safety Authority does not call to set up inspections or ask for personal information if no recent electrical work has been done in your home.
The Electrical Safety Authority is Ontario’s electrical safety regulator and is the only organization authorized by the Ontario Government to enforce electrical safety regulations such as the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and conduct electrical inspections in homes for this purpose.
If you receive a communication about electrical inspections and believe it to be a scam, do not provide any personal information and report it to Consumer Protection Ontario:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/report-scam-or-fraud.
The Electrical Safety Authority is reminding consumers to take precautions before allowing anyone claiming to be an electrical inspector into their homes. If you are approached at the door by someone claiming to be an electrical inspector, here are the steps you can take:
- Electrical Safety Authority Inspectors will arrive in a vehicle marked with ESA’s logo. Look for it.
- Electrical Safety Authority Inspectors carry photo identification. Ask to see it.
Consumers who are unsure, or have questions or concerns about electrical inspections, are encouraged to contact the Electrical Safety Authority at 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233) between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Information about the Electrical Safety Authority’s permit and inspection process can be found at
esasafe.com.
About the Electrical Safety Authority
The Electrical Safety Authority's (ESA’s) role is to enhance public electrical safety in Ontario. As an administrative authority acting on behalf of the Government of Ontario, ESA is responsible for administering specific regulations related to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians, electricity distribution system safety, and electrical product safety. ESA works extensively with stakeholders throughout the province on education, training and promotion to foster electrical safety across the province. More information on the Electrical Safety Authority can be found at esasafe.com, through https://twitter.com/homeandsafety and on Facebook at facebook.com/ElectricalSafetyAuthority.
Source:
ESA Newsroom
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) has received reports that consumers in the Hamilton, St. Catharines and Cambridge areas have been contacted by representatives of a company notifying them that a mandatory electrical inspection is required at their household. A similar scam was reported in other areas of the province – including the Greater Toronto Area – in previous months. These calls and visits are not from the Electrical Safety Authority. The Electrical Safety Authority does not call to set up inspections or ask for personal information if no recent electrical work has been done in your home.