NSEB dismisses customer complaint, upholding NS Power's refusal to convert underground service to overhead wiring on Canadian Electrical Code safety grounds.

M12536 · NSPI General Complaint - Overhead Wires - Tye Laframboise

AI summary

The Board's April 30, 2026 decision letter (Document 328624) dismisses Tye Laframboise's complaint arising from Nova Scotia Power's refusal to convert his underground residential distribution (URD) service to overhead service during a 100-to-200-amp panel upgrade intended to support Heat Pumps adoption.
The Board accepted NS Power's position that mixed overhead/underground service on row houses violates the Canadian Electrical Code (Rule 6-112(4), one-metre clearance from windows) and CSA Standards, and poses safety risks to customers, emergency responders, and contractors through misidentification of service entry points (Exhibit L-2, p. 2).
On cost responsibility, the Board found that NS Power Regulation 2.11 and Utility Service Requirements Sections 13.4(7) and (10) assign all underground service costs from the URD box to the residence to the homeowner, notwithstanding the complainant's equity concerns; Section 57 of the Public Utilities Act was found silent on cost allocation.
The Board acknowledged the financial burden on the customer but determined that Health And Safety compliance must take priority, and that NS Power's utility-side infrastructure up to the URD box falls under its free service allowance while customer-side costs remain the homeowner's responsibility (Exhibit L-3, IR-2, p. 1).

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What was filed

Documents filed on this day

101818 Board Decision Letter key_documents
101818 Board Decision Letter other_documents