What electrical work does a heat pump need?

Most heat pumps need at least one dedicated 240-volt circuit sized to the equipment, and heat pump water heaters typically need their own circuit as well. Whether your panel can take those circuits without an upgrade is exactly what the readiness assessment answers. The equipment manufacturer sets the circuit requirements; we verify your panel and service can meet them.

Do I need a 200-amp service for a heat pump or EV charger?

Not necessarily. Plenty of homes run a heat pump or a Level 2 charger on a 100 or 125-amp service, and load-management equipment can stretch capacity further in some cases. It depends on your actual load, which is why we do the calculation instead of assuming. The only wrong answer is finding out after the equipment is purchased.

What does the readiness assessment cost?

It is our standard flat $129 service call, and it is credited toward the work if you hire us for the circuits, panel, or service upgrade it identifies. You get the findings in writing either way.

Should I talk to you before or after I get a heat pump quote?

Before, ideally. An HVAC quote assumes the electrical side will work out; the assessment confirms it or flags the gap while you still have leverage and time. If you already have a quote in hand, bring it to the visit and we will check the electrical requirements against your panel.

Can you handle the panel upgrade too, if I need one?

Yes. Panel replacements and service changes are core work for us; see the electrical panel upgrades page for what that involves. Doing the assessment and the upgrade with one licensed electrician means nothing gets lost between the plan and the work.

ductless heat pump unit on an exterior wall

Licensed, bonded, and insured

Heat Pump Electrical Readiness in Bellingham, WA

You are thinking about a heat pump. Maybe an EV is in the driveway or on order, or you want to swap the gas range for induction. Every one of those runs on electricity, and every one of them draws from the same panel in your garage or basement.

Here is the question almost nobody asks before buying the equipment: can your electrical service actually handle it?

Bellingham Electrical answers that question before you spend a dollar on equipment. We call it an electrification readiness assessment: a licensed electrician looks at your panel, your service size, and your real electrical load, then tells you plainly what your home can take on and what it cannot. The visit is a flat $129, credited toward the work if you hire us for it.

Call or text (360) 218-4499 or book online.

Call or text (360) 218-4499 Book Online

Licensed, bonded, and insured. WA L&I contractor registration CASCACH748MH.
Licensed electrical work, led by Eric Chan, WA electrical administrator AD CHAN*E*743C7.
$129 service call, credited toward the work if you hire us.
On time or it's on us. Miss the window we gave you and the $129 service call is free.

On this page

What electrification means
The readiness assessment
Assess before you buy
If your panel is not ready
Rebates

What electrification means for a Whatcom home

Electrification is the plain-English trend behind a lot of purchases homeowners around Bellingham are making right now: heat pumps replacing gas or electric-resistance furnaces, heat pump water heaters, induction ranges, and EV chargers in the garage.

Each of these is a significant new electrical load, and most of them want their own dedicated 240-volt circuit. One at a time, a typical home can often absorb them. Stacked together on an older 100-amp service, which plenty of Whatcom homes still have, they can push the panel past what it was built to deliver.

That is not a reason to skip electrification. It is a reason to check the electrical side first, in the right order, so you are not paying for surprises mid-project.

The readiness assessment: what we check

Think of it as a home electrical inspection aimed at one question: what can this house take on? A licensed electrician checks four things.

1
Panel capacity. What your panel is rated for, how many spaces are left for new breakers, and its age and condition. Some older panels should be replaced on their own merits before anything new is added.
2
Service size. The amperage coming into the house from the utility, commonly 100, 125, or 200 amps. This is the ceiling everything else lives under, and it is the difference between "add a circuit" and "upgrade the service."
3
Load calculation. A panel load assessment done to National Electrical Code method, using your actual appliances and square footage, not a guess. This is the number that says whether a heat pump, a charger, or both will fit on your existing service.
4
Dedicated circuits. What new circuits the planned equipment needs, where they would run, and what that work involves in your specific house.

You leave the visit with straight answers: what fits now, what requires panel or service work first, and what each path involves. We put it in writing so you can hand it to your HVAC contractor or use it to plan purchases on your own schedule.

Assess before you buy. The order matters.

The most expensive sentence in electrification is "we'll figure out the electrical later."

We regularly see the same story: a homeowner signs for a heat pump or brings home an EV, and only then finds out the panel is full or the service is undersized. Now the electrical work is on the critical path. The equipment sits, the install date slips, and the panel upgrade gets done under time pressure instead of on your terms.

Run it in the other order and the whole project gets easier:

1
Assess first. One $129 visit tells you what your home can support.
2
Do any panel or service work on your schedule, if it is needed at all, before equipment is sitting in the driveway.
3
Buy the equipment knowing it will connect. Your HVAC installer or EV charger install goes smoothly because the capacity and circuits are already there.

If you are planning more than one upgrade over the next few years, say a heat pump now and an EV later, tell us. We size the plan for where you are headed, not just the next purchase, so you pay for the electrical work once.

If your panel is not ready: the upgrade path

Plenty of homes pass the assessment with room to spare. If yours does not, that is a solvable problem, and you will know the real scope before committing to anything.

Depending on what the load calculation shows, the path might be modest or more involved:

Add circuits only. The service and panel have capacity; the equipment just needs dedicated circuits run.
Panel replacement. The service size is fine but the panel is full, obsolete, or unsafe. A new panel adds breaker space and modern protection.
Service upgrade. The whole service steps up, commonly from 100 to 200 amps, which involves the utility and permits. This is the biggest job, and it is exactly the one you want to know about before you buy equipment, not after.
Load management. In some cases, smart load-management devices can let equipment share capacity so a full service upgrade is not needed. When that is a sensible option for your situation, we will tell you.

The full story on panels and service changes is on our electrical panel upgrades page. If an EV charger is part of your plan, our EV charger installation page covers that install in depth.

Rebates: what exists, and what we can honestly say

Income-qualified state rebate programs exist in Washington for heat pumps and for panel work that enables them, and Puget Sound Energy offers rebates on qualifying heat pump installations. Programs, amounts, and eligibility rules change, and eligibility is determined by the programs rather than by us, so ask us what is current when you call.

FAQ

Planning a heat pump, EV, or induction range? Find out if your panel is ready first.

Flat $129 readiness assessment, credited toward the work if you hire us. Straight answers from a licensed Bellingham electrician.

Call or text (360) 218-4499
Book Online

Cascade Crest Home Services LLC dba Bellingham Electrical. WA L&I license CASCACH748MH. Bellingham Electrical, 8125 Birch Bay Square St, Unit 205, Blaine, WA 98230, (360) 218-4499