Advertising for Illegal Electrical Work Costs Unlicensed Contractor $12,500

Oct 16, 2017

On August 29, 2017 Yvon Richer of Orleans, Ontario was convicted in an Ottawa court and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine plus a 25% ($2,500) victim fine surcharge for advertising for electrical work without a licence.

This latest conviction follows a history of non-compliance. In 2014 Richer was convicted by Provincial Offences Court in Ottawa on two counts: working without an electrical contractor’s licence and failing to take out a permit for electrical work. He received a fine of $1,000 plus a victim fine surcharge on each count.

Every year, ESA receives hundreds of reports about illegal electrical work being conducted in Ontario, including reports involving contractors advertising illegally. ESA’s licensing team has developed an approach to intercept illegal advertising online, including targeted efforts with Kijiji. These efforts led to two convictions, including Richer’s, multiple investigations, and more than 500 warnings issued. In addition, 70% of the advertisements ESA has identified on Kijiji have been removed.

“In Ontario, only licensed electrical contractors are legally allowed to perform electrical work for hire and advertise to engage to perform electrical work,” says Normand Breton, Registrar, Contractor Licensing, Electrical Safety Authority. ”Unfortunately, we see too many examples of unlicensed contractors advertising for electrical services, which is against the law. Although online sites and referrals can be a good way to source trades, business owners and homeowners must verify the contractor is licensed before hiring. Electrical contractors are required to display their licence number on all ads, and you can easily verify the licence using ESA’s online look-up tool.”

“Electrical safety is a partnership and we all have a role to play,” says Scott Saint, Chief Public Safety Officer, Electrical Safety Authority. “ESA has dedicated resources to help combat contractors from doing electrical work without a licence which is what helped secure this conviction. It is also the responsibility of homeowners to do their homework and make sure the contractors they hire are properly licensed. Your family’s safety is at stake when you take shortcuts with electrical work.”