This resource calls for the Ontario government and law enforcement to end the ESA's monopoly, cut fees across the board.

Limit its absolute power. Investigate and stop the alleged criminal abuse of that power and unjust self-enrichment.

Expose fundamental flaws that deteriorate safety causing more accidents, fires, and fatalities.

Electrical contractors, refuse to pay inspection fees to ESA


The Electrical Safety Authority should get their inspection fees directly from customers.

Today we, electrical contractors perform duties of a cashier or a collection agency by taking Electrical Safety Authority inspection fees from customers and then paying that money to the ESA.

But why should we do this? We neither have the mandate, nor the authority, not the desire to collect somebody else's fees.

It is an unnecessary headache and if there is a conflict with the customer, it becomes an additional and real loss of money for us.

Sometimes customers do not pay us in full or at all. Rarely but it happens. There is no risk for the inspector. If a customer refuses to pay for an inspection, the fee is coming out of the electrical contractor's pocket. The ESA never assists us in making customers pay the ESA's own fees.

  • Why do contractors have to collect the ESA fees from customers?
  • Why doesn't the ESA make customers pay inspection fees directly to the ESA?
  • Why does electrical contractor becomes financially responsible if the customer doesn't pay inspection fee?
  • Why do we have to pay our own money if a customer refused to pay the ESA fee?
  • Why do contractors have to take an additional risk with somebody else's moneys?
  • Why doesn't the ESA help us when customers refuse to pay ESA inspection fees to us?
  • What could we do if a customer refuses to pay ESA inspection fee to us simply because we do not have the authority to collect ESA fees?
  • What if a customer refuses to pay us simply because we can not produce a mandate to collect such fee?

Several customers accused us of fraud simply because we tried to collect the ESA inspection fees without formal document allowing us to do so. In fact the customers were right. We neither had any document, nor such authorization.

Accusing us of blatant fraud, customers have pushed us out. They didn't pay a penny neither for work and materials, nor for inspection. Then ESA, ignoring our reasoning, had made us to pay the the ESA inspection fees out of our pockets, and refused to help.

We must refuse to collect esa inspection fees right away. Fair and square!



You can email these statements and ask Electrical Safety Authority to answer these questions:

I am an electrical contractor, I am not a traffic policeman, so no one orders me to collect fines from bad drivers.

I am not a parking enforcement officer, so no one forces me to collect parking fees.

I am not a CRA agent or employee and no one pushes me to collect taxes.

I do not do food inspections and I do not collect the food inspection fees.

I am neither an ESA inspector, nor an employee. I do not conduct the ESA inspections.

So my questions to the ESA are:

Why do I have to collect the ESA fees from customers?

Why does the ESA push me to collect ESA inspection fees from customers?

Why do I have then to pay those fees to the ESA?

Why doesn't ESA collect its fees itself and directly from the customers?

I neither have the authority to collect the ESA inspection fees, nor the ESA gave me a formal and legal permission, nor formal document, nor authorization to do so. Nor ESA is willing to help me enforce the collection when customers refuse to pay the fees to me.

On several occasions the ESA refused to provide any assistance. On a number of occasions when I asked my customers to pay the ESA inspection fees directly to me, they have asked me to show a formal ESA authorization. Other customers requested a document proving my right to collect. I could not produce such authorization and customers refused to pay. Some were angry and have even told me that I was doing an illegal thing and that I was trying to defraud them.

That is why we must stop collecting these inspection fees!

We, electrical contractors do not want to lose customers. Nor get involved in any illegal activities. Nor pay the ESA inspection fees out of our pockets, nor do somebody else's work for free.

Organize and refuse to be abused. Defy together. Disobey and simply collect no ESA fees. Again, just do nothing. This is the easiest and simplest way. Yet keep in mind that we would only prevail if there were hundreds or thousands of us. And if we all remain united, stick together and fight for each other.

Please bring as many other electrical contractors to this post as possible, if you think the ESA is unfair or abusive. Even tell your competitors. Today each of us, all of us, we have one common enemy - the Electrical Safety Authority.

United we stand, divided we fall!



Ask the ESA these or any other questions via email ESA.Cambridge@electricalsafety.on.ca

Ask your MPP.

Email the Minister directly Ms. Lisa M Thompson. Or visit web site of the Minister of Government and Consumer Services, who is accountable for the ESA activities.

Or do you have your own story of abuse, neglect, unfair treatment, overcharge, etc. to share publicly? Join us in a class action if you think they are parasites and sue them together with us!


Post a Comment
ESA will never give up fantastic salaries and huge benefits until we refuse to be their cash cows. They will milk us all dry if YOU and I don't stop them in court. So how committed are you to winning?

No anonymous comments!
Use full name, real or not. No links unless devoted to fighting ESA.

If emailing evidence of overcharge, abuse, or crime, clearly state whether we can make your name and material public.

Otherwise we will keep all your contact and personal information strictly confidential and unknown to the ESA. Courts will give you absolute immunity, witness protection, and concealed identity in advance. ESA will never know who you are and won't be able to retaliate.





ISB - Independent Supervisory Body. We should create it in order to fight for what is just, fair and right

ECAO - Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario

CoAC - Contractor Advisory Council

OESC - Ontario Electrical Safety Code