In short
- Hydro Ottawa links flickering or dimming lights to loose connections or overloaded circuits, and advises calling an electrician if it happens regularly.
- Hydro Ottawa investigates a reported power quality problem at your service connection; a cause inside the home is yours to repair.
- On overhead service, the mast, the meter base and the wires from the meter base to the panel belong to the homeowner.
- The first hour of most electrician calls costs $100–$200; mid-size cities such as Ottawa run $80–$130 an hour (HomeStars 2026, Canada-wide).
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First hour of a service call | $100–$200 | Canada-wide guide; travel and first assessment |
| Hourly rate after that | $80–$130 | Canada-wide guide, mid-size cities including Ottawa |
| Extra for aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring | $50–$150 per hour | Canada-wide guide, above the standard rate |
| Dimmer switch installation | $100–$150 | One Ottawa firm’s published list, approximate |
| Light fixture replacement | $150–$300 | One Ottawa firm’s published list, approximate |
| Breaker replacement | $130–$250 | Canada-wide guide, per breaker |
Sources. HomeStars, Electrician Hourly Rate in Canada: 2026 Guide, seen 29.10.2026. One Ottawa firm’s published list: lighting installation costs, seen 29.10.2026. Utility: Hydro Ottawa, Power quality, Hydro Ottawa, Power quality FAQ, Hydro Ottawa, Electrical safety at home, Hydro Ottawa, Electrical service requests, seen 29.10.2026. Rules: ESA, Aluminum Wiring, ESA, Finding the Right Contractor, ESA, Notifications and Inspections, Ontario, guide for home renovation businesses, seen 29.10.2026. Warning signs: US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Repairing Aluminum Wiring, seen 29.10.2026. Dimmers: Dimmer maker support page, LED lights flickering on a Maestro LED+ dimmer, seen 29.10.2026.
Where the flicker shows up
How far the flicker reaches points to where the fault sits and who should come first.
- One fixture. The bulb, the fixture, its switch or the connections in that box.
- One room, or the lights on one breaker. A connection along that circuit, or a circuit carrying too much. Hydro Ottawa names loose connections and overloaded circuits as the usual causes.
- The whole house, or lights that go bright and dim together. The panel, the wires from the meter base or the utility side. Report this pattern to Hydro Ottawa and mention it in your request.
Name the rooms: “kitchen and dining room, same breaker, worse when the dishwasher runs” saves time on the visit.
When a big appliance starts
Hydro Ottawa lists the switching of large motors, overloaded or faulty circuits, improper wiring and lightning among the triggers of power quality problems. Depth and frequency matter: lights that dip deeply each time the dryer or heat pump cycles, or a dip that has grown worse, deserve a visit. Electronics restarting on their own and breakers tripping for no clear reason are on the same list; see breaker keeps tripping.
Dimmers and LED bulbs
LED bulbs and a dimmer can be a poor match. One dimmer maker’s support page says many LEDs are made without dimming, smart bulbs included, and that flicker only at the bottom of the range usually means the bulb cannot dim as low as the dimmer. In the request, give the bulb brand and wattage, the dimmer model if printed on it, and how many lights it controls.
Hydro Ottawa’s side and yours
If the whole house dims, or the neighbours see it at the same moment, call Hydro Ottawa at (613) 738-6400. It investigates at your service connection and fixes a grid cause; a cause inside the home is yours to repair.
On overhead service, Hydro Ottawa owns the wires from the pole to the house. You own the mast, the wires in it, the meter base and the wires to the panel. Damage there needs an electrical contractor, an ESA permit and an inspection before reconnection; Hydro Ottawa asks you to call (613) 738-6418 first to confirm whose equipment is whose. See service mast and meter base.
Older Ottawa houses
ESA says homes built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s may have aluminum branch wiring. ESA adds that the Ontario Electrical Safety Code permits it, that it is safe with proper connections and devices approved for aluminum, and that each home is assessed on its own. A US Consumer Product Safety Commission booklet lists flickering lights and hot cover plates among signs of trouble. Put the build year in the request, and attach any insurer letter about the wiring.
What the price is made of
Flicker work is mostly finding time. HomeStars puts the first hour at $100–$200, then $80–$130 an hour in mid-size cities such as Ottawa. After-hours runs 1.5 to 2 times the rate. Parts are often small: a breaker runs $130–$250, and one Ottawa firm’s list puts a dimmer at about $100–$150. Adding a second small job means one call fee; see the electrician cost guide.
What the quote should list
The written price names what was found and where: fixture, switch, circuit, panel or service entrance. Each repair gets a line with parts, hours, rate, any ESA fee and HST. ESA says only a Licensed Electrical Contractor may be hired for electrical work in an Ontario home, with a 7-digit ECRA/ESA number on estimates, and the one doing the work files the notification. In Ontario, a contract over $50 needs a written agreement, the bill may exceed the estimate by 10% at most without a signed change, and a contract signed at home has a 10-day cooling-off period.
Who takes your request
Ottawa Electric Desk sends your request to one independent local electrical contracting company. That company phones you, traces the flicker, quotes and does the repair. A flicker next to a hot or buzzing switch or a burning smell: choose Today on the form and see emergency electrician.
Questions to ask the company
- From what I described, do you start at the fixture, the circuit or the panel, and what does the first hour cover?
- If the cause turns out to be on Hydro Ottawa's side, what do I pay for the visit?
- Does the dimmer suit LED bulbs, and will a dimmer or bulb change be its own line?
- Does this repair need an ESA notification, and what is your 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number?
- Can I have the price, parts and HST in writing before you open anything?
Have this ready for the call
- The lights that flicker: one fixture, one room, several rooms or the whole house
- When it happens: all the time, on a dimmer, or when the furnace, dryer or air conditioner starts
- A short phone video of the flicker
- Year the house was built, and overhead or underground service
- Photo of the panel labels, and of any switch plate that feels warm
- Whether the neighbours see the same dimming
Questions people ask
One LED bulb flickers on a dimmer. Is that a wiring fault?
Often it is a mismatch. One dimmer maker’s support page says many LEDs are made without dimming, smart bulbs included, and that flicker only at the low end usually means the bulb cannot dim as low as the dimmer.
Every light dims when the air conditioner starts. Should I worry?
Hydro Ottawa lists the switching of large motors and overloaded circuits among the triggers of power quality problems. Dimming that is deep, frequent or getting worse is worth a visit; name the appliance in your request.
My neighbours see the flicker too. Who do I call?
Hydro Ottawa customer service, (613) 738-6400, which its FAQ gives for a suspected power quality problem. It checks whether the cause is yours or on its system.
We live in a 1970 house. Is it the aluminum wiring?
It is one cause to rule out. ESA says homes built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s may have aluminum wiring, safe with proper connections and approved devices. A US safety agency lists flickering lights and warm cover plates among signs of a failing connection.
The lights dimmed slightly once and never again. What was that?
Possibly a grid test. Hydro Ottawa says the provincial grid operator runs a voltage reduction test every 18 months, and at most you may see a slight dimming of lights.
