{"id":846369,"date":"2026-11-05T17:51:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T17:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/?p=846369"},"modified":"2026-11-05T17:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T17:51:02","slug":"heated-driveways-mississauga-urges-homeowners-planning-electric-snowmelt-systems-to-confirm-esa-licensing-and-permits-after-peel-police-lay-charges-in-an-unlicensed-electrical-contracting-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abnewswire.com\/pressreleases\/heated-driveways-mississauga-urges-homeowners-planning-electric-snowmelt-systems-to-confirm-esa-licensing-and-permits-after-peel-police-lay-charges-in-an-unlicensed-electrical-contracting-case_846369.html","title":{"rendered":"Heated Driveways Mississauga urges homeowners planning electric snow-melt systems to confirm ESA licensing and permits after Peel police lay charges in an unlicensed electrical contracting case"},"content":{"rendered":"
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“A heated driveway is a permanent electrical installation buried under the surface you walk and drive on every day, so who wires it matters. The charges in Peel are a reminder that anyone can claim to be licensed. Ontario makes it easy to check: ask for the seven-digit ECRA\/ESA licence number, look it up yourself, and make sure the permit is filed before anyone starts digging. Then ask for the Certificate of Acceptance when the job is done,” said a spokesperson for Heated Driveways Mississauga<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Heated Driveways Mississauga has published a checklist to help homeowners confirm ESA licensing and permits before installing an electric heated driveway, following charges laid by Peel police in an unlicensed electrical contracting case.<\/div>\n

Mississauga, Ontario – November 5, 2026 –<\/strong> Heated Driveways Mississauga, the operator of the snow-melt referral website heateddrivewaysmississauga.ca<\/a>, today released a hiring checklist for Mississauga homeowners who are planning an electric heated driveway, walkway or steps. The checklist follows a recent Peel Region case in which police charged a man accused of passing himself off as a licensed electrical contractor, and it explains how homeowners can confirm that the people wiring a snow-melt system are legally allowed to do the work.<\/p>\n

On October 2, 2026, Peel Regional Police announced charges against a 39-year-old Brampton man following an investigation called Project Circuit Breaker, which began in May after a complaint from Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). According to police, the man operated two electrical contracting businesses, allegedly misrepresented himself as a licensed electrical contractor and employed people who were not properly certified. Police said the work included electric vehicle charger installations, LED lighting and electrical panel replacements, and that customers were promised government rebates that do not exist. Police said they had identified 12 victims in Peel, Halton and York regions. The charges include defrauding the public, false pretences, uttering forged documents and mischief endangering life. The allegations have not been proven in court.<\/p>\n

An electric snow-melting system is electrical work. Heating cables or mats are embedded in the driveway and connected to a dedicated circuit and an automatic controller, which places these installations squarely under Ontario’s electrical safety rules.<\/p>\n

“A heated driveway is a permanent electrical installation buried under the surface you walk and drive on every day, so who wires it matters. The charges in Peel are a reminder that anyone can claim to be licensed. Ontario makes it easy to check: ask for the seven-digit ECRA\/ESA licence number, look it up yourself, and make sure the permit is filed before anyone starts digging. Then ask for the Certificate of Acceptance when the job is done,” said a spokesperson for Heated Driveways Mississauga.<\/p>\n

What Ontario’s rules say<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the ESA, only a Licensed Electrical Contracting business can be hired to do electrical work in an Ontario home. Master and certified electricians are employed by these businesses but are not authorized to be hired directly, and general contractors are not licensed to do electrical work themselves. The ESA also says the Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires electrical work to be reported by filing a notification of work, often called a permit, before the work starts, and that a building permit does not cover the electrical portion of a project.<\/p>\n

The checklist<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heated Driveways Mississauga recommends that homeowners take the following steps before signing for an electric heated driveway:<\/p>\n