Home Safety · May 2, 2026
Your electrical panel is the heart of your home's power. When it starts to struggle, the warning signs are usually there well before anything fails — you just have to know what to look for.
Watch for breakers that trip repeatedly, a panel that feels warm to the touch, lights that dim when large appliances kick on, a burning smell near the panel, or a fuse box that's never been updated. Any one of these is worth a professional look.
Modern homes ask a lot of their panels — EV chargers, heat pumps, induction ranges, and home offices all draw serious power. If your panel predates those demands, an upgrade adds capacity and, more importantly, safety.
If you're seeing any of these signs, don't wait for a failure. A licensed electrician can assess your panel and service size and recommend the right fix before a small issue becomes an emergency.
Keep reading
The $1,000 federal EV charger credit ended on June 30, 2026, and the $600 panel credit ended the December before. What's left is all local, and which side of the Columbia you live on decides how much you get: Clark PUD pays a flat $500, Pacific Power pays up to $1,500 for income-qualified households, and PGE currently pays nothing toward the charger itself.
Read articleMost Portland-area homeowners pay $2,500–$5,000 for a straightforward 100-to-200-amp upgrade, and more when the meter base, mast, and grounding come along for the ride. Our own jobs typically land at $2,500–$3,500. Here's the full breakdown, including permits and utility steps.
Read articleRoughly one in four Portland homes predates 1940, and the late-'60s boom across the metro left thousands more with aluminum branch circuits. Here's how to identify both, what your insurer will ask for, and what a safe fix costs in 2026.
Read articleReady for reliable power?
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