Why does my power flicker during a windstorm but my neighbours seem fine?

If your power flickers during wind while your neighbours stay steady, the problem is almost certainly with your individual service entrance — the overhead wires, weatherhead, mast, or connections specific to your home — rather than a neighbourhood-wide utility issue. Toronto Hydro feeds each home through a service drop cable that runs from the utility pole or transformer to your weatherhead (the pipe fitting at the top of your service mast). In a windstorm, problems with your specific connection cause flickering that only affects your house.

The most common culprit is a loose service drop connection at the weatherhead. The utility's overhead wires connect to your service entrance cables at the weatherhead, and over time these connections can corrode, loosen, or sustain damage from ice loading and wind stress. When the wind blows, the overhead cables sway and pull on the connection point. A secure connection handles this movement without issue, but a loose or corroded connection creates intermittent contact — each gust causing a momentary power interruption that shows up as a flicker in your lights. This is particularly common on older GTA homes where the original service entrance hardware has been in place for 30-40 years, exposed to Toronto's punishing freeze-thaw cycles, ice storms, and summer humidity.

Tree branches contacting your service drop are another frequent cause. Even if the main utility lines on the street are clear of trees, a branch rubbing against the service drop cable running to your house can cause intermittent shorts and flickering. Toronto Hydro is responsible for tree trimming around their main distribution lines, but branches affecting your individual service drop are your responsibility. Do not attempt to trim branches near overhead power lines yourself — this is life-threatening work. Call Toronto Hydro at 416-542-8000 to report the situation, or hire a certified arborist who is trained to work near energized conductors.

The service mast itself — the metal pipe that rises above your roofline and holds the weatherhead — can loosen from the building over time. On older homes across the Annex, Leslieville, High Park, and other established Toronto neighbourhoods, the mast is secured to the fascia board with clamps, and decades of wind loading, ice weight, and wood deterioration can cause it to shift. A mast that moves in the wind pulls on the service entrance cables inside, creating intermittent contact at the meter base or panel connections. You can visually inspect the mast from the ground — if it visibly sways in the wind or appears to be pulling away from the house, it needs to be re-secured or replaced.

Corrosion at the meter base is another possibility. The meter base sits on the exterior of your home, exposed to rain, snow, and humidity year-round. Over decades, the lugs and connections inside the meter base can corrode, creating high-resistance contact points. Wind vibration through the service mast and cables causes these corroded connections to make and break contact intermittently.

Here is how to proceed. Contact Toronto Hydro first to have them inspect the service drop connection at the weatherhead and the overhead cable from the pole to your home — this is their equipment and their responsibility. If Toronto Hydro confirms their side is in good condition, the issue is on your side of the meter, and you need a licensed electrician to inspect the mast, weatherhead, service entrance cables, meter base connections, and panel connections. A service entrance inspection in the GTA runs $150-$350, and repairs can range from $200 for re-securing connections to $3,000-$5,000 for a full service entrance replacement. Browse electricians through the Toronto Construction Network directory to find someone experienced with service entrance work in your area.