If power is out in only some rooms — “half my house,” upstairs only, or every other circuit — you may have lost one of the two 120-volt legs that feed a typical home. A loose or open connection at the utility connection, weatherhead, service mast, meter base or main breaker can kill about half your lights and outlets, leave 240-volt appliances dead or weak, and make remaining lights dim or flicker. That is not a wait-and-see problem. A loose connection can overheat. Do not open the panel or meter. Check the neighbours and the outage map, reset a tripped main once, then call.
For after-hours emergencies, especially during storms and severe winter weather, call 1-833-623-3247; a live person answers 24/7. See our GTA 24-hour emergency service page.
What “half the house is out” usually means
Your utility delivers power as two 120-volt legs (phases). Inside the home:
- Most lights and plug-in outlets run on one of those legs (120 V)
- Large appliances — dryer, electric stove, central air, many electric water heaters — need both legs together (240 V)
When one leg is loose or disconnected, homeowners often notice:
- Power out in some rooms, but not the whole house
- Half the kitchen outlets dead while others still work
- Dryer, stove, AC or water heater stopped or running weakly
- Lights that are still on looking dim or flickering
- A main breaker that feels warm, or a burning smell near the panel or meter (stop and call — do not investigate further)
This is different from a single branch-circuit breaker that tripped and darkened one room. “Half the house” or “lost power in some rooms across the house” points at the service path, not one bedroom circuit.
Common causes (plain language)
| What failed | What you may see |
|---|---|
| Loose or open connection on one leg at the weatherhead, service mast or utility connection | Half the 120 V circuits dead; 240 V appliances dead or weak |
| Problem at the meter base (homeowner equipment) | Same pattern; sometimes heat or buzzing at the meter |
| Failing main breaker or loose main lugs | Partial outage, flicker, heat at the panel |
| Utility-side issue on one leg feeding your street or your drop | Neighbours may share the symptom, or the outage map may show an event |
Storms, ice and tree movement often stress the service mast and weatherhead — the same hardware that carries both legs into the house. For downed lines and mast damage, see tree branch pulled down your power line and storm damage to your service mast or meter base.
Utility’s side vs homeowner’s side
Per Ontario Electrical Safety Authority guidance, ownership typically starts where the wires attach to the house. In practical terms for GTA homeowners:
| Part | Usually whose responsibility |
|---|---|
| Overhead or underground service line from the street to the house connection | Utility |
| Service mast, weatherhead, meter base and everything into the panel | Homeowner (repairs by a Licensed Electrical Contractor; ESA notification where required) |
| Neighbourhood outage on the utility map | Utility |
If the outage map shows your street dark, call the utility first. If only your home (or half of it) is affected while neighbours are fine, call a licensed electrician.
Quick checks that are safe — and what is not
Safe:
- Look at the neighbours and streetlights.
- Check your utility’s outage map (links in our tree-down and storm-mast guides, or your bill).
- At the panel, look for a tripped main or large breaker (usually in the middle position).
- Reset the main once: fully OFF, then ON.
- Note which rooms and which big appliances are dead — that helps the electrician.
Not safe — leave it alone:
- Opening the panel dead-front or removing the cover
- Touching or opening the meter or meter base
- Repeatedly resetting a breaker that will not stay on
- “Tightening” anything at the mast or weatherhead yourself
A loose connection can overheat. Repeated resets will not fix a lost leg and can make things worse.
When to call right away
Call a licensed electrician now if:
- Half the house is dark and neighbours have power
- 240 V appliances died at the same time as the partial outage
- Lights on the “live” side are dim or flickering
- The panel or meter area is warm, buzzing or smells like burning
Smoke, fire or wires sparking: call 911. Downed wires: stay at least 10 metres (33 feet) back — about the length of a school bus — and call 911 and your utility.
For after-hours emergencies, especially during storms and severe winter weather, call 1-833-623-3247; a live person answers 24/7.
What a licensed electrician does next
We confirm which leg is missing, inspect the service path you own (mast, weatherhead, meter base, main breaker and panel), and make the home safe. A Licensed Electrical Contractor files the ESA notification for the repair work. If the utility must disconnect for mast or meter-base work, that coordination happens before reconnection. We do not ask homeowners to DIY any of that.
Made Electric serves homeowners across Vaughan, Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, York, York Region, Richmond Hill, Markham, Newmarket, King, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills. ESA/ECRA Licence LEC 7013444. 2-year workmanship warranty on all our work. English and Spanish.
Half the house dark? Call now
Do not wait for a partial outage to “fix itself” if neighbours have power. A lost leg is an urgent electrical problem.
Call 1-833-623-3247 · Book online
For after-hours emergencies, especially during storms and severe winter weather, call 1-833-623-3247; a live person answers 24/7. More on our GTA 24-hour emergency service page.