Many homes in Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence, and the broader Merrimack Valley were built with 60A or 100A electrical service. That was plenty for the appliances of the 1960s and 70s — but today's homes run air conditioners, EV chargers, heat pumps, electric ranges, and smart home devices simultaneously. Here are five clear signs your home needs a service upgrade.
If your breakers trip regularly — especially when multiple appliances are running — it's often a sign that your service is undersized for your current load. A 100A service has a hard ceiling, and modern households routinely approach or exceed it.
A Level 2 EV charger requires a dedicated 40–50A circuit. If your current panel is a 100A service that's already reasonably loaded, adding an EV charger may not be possible without a service upgrade first. We always check this during our free estimate.
If your lights flicker or dim noticeably when your air conditioner, refrigerator, or heat pump kicks on, that's a voltage drop — and it often indicates your service is struggling to keep up with demand. Occasional minor dimming can be normal, but significant or frequent dimming warrants a look.
Adding a finished basement, in-law suite, garage apartment, or major addition significantly increases your home's electrical load. It's almost always smarter — and cheaper — to upgrade the service as part of the renovation rather than discovering the limitation later.
If your home was built before 1980 and has never had a service upgrade, it almost certainly has a 100A or smaller service. Even if you're not experiencing problems today, a 200A upgrade is a worthwhile investment in safety, home value, and future flexibility.
Giardi Electric will assess your current service during a free on-site visit and tell you exactly what you have and what — if anything — needs to change.
📞 Call 857-600-0093In Haverhill, MA and surrounding towns, a 100A to 200A service upgrade typically costs between $2,500 and $4,500 including permits and Eversource coordination. Read our full breakdown in How Much Does a Panel Upgrade Cost in Massachusetts?
Ready to find out if your home needs a service upgrade? Call or text Giardi Electric at 857-600-0093 for a free assessment anywhere in the Merrimack Valley.