Connecting a generator to your home safely

There are safe ways to power a home from a generator, and one dangerous way that you must never use.

Electrician in a hard hat working on a breaker panel
Never plug a generator into a wall outlet to power the house ("backfeeding"). It can send electricity back onto the utility lines and kill line workers, and can start fires in your wiring.

Safe options

Run appliances directly

Plug the fridge, lights or a heater into heavy-duty extension cords from the generator's outlets. Simple, and no electrical work. Good for a few essentials.

Transfer switch or interlock

A properly installed transfer switch or interlock lets a generator feed chosen circuits in the house while the utility is physically disconnected. It must be installed by a qualified electrician under your province's electrical rules.

Electrician hookup of a rental

For larger or longer needs, an electrician connects the rented generator to your panel in the correct way. See electrician hookup.

Permits, notifications and inspections for generator connections vary by province. Tell us your province and address and we plan around them. For home outages see home backup.

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