A reasonably long-term tenant moved from a 3 bedroom house, and it is a good time to upgrade the electrical service. This is the last 3 bedroom I own that still has 60 amp service.

I am trying to decide whether to spend the extra money to upgrade to 200 amp rather than 100 amp. I don't know yet how much that extra will be. I had someone look at it today who will be giving me bids for the two alternatives.

I was the one suggesting 200 amp service. He actually was discouraging me from going to 200 amp, saying it wouldn't be needed unless I went all electric. There is a gas furnace which I will be replacing and a gas water heater. There are both gas and electric connections present for the dryer and the stove, but presently both are gas. There is central air, which I will be replacing.

The house is in a middle class neighborhood in a nice area. The homes generally are on the small side for being 3 bedrooms but are maintained fairly well. It is a mix of owner occupied and rentals. I actually have considered it for myself at some time, as it is the most accesible of any of any properties I own, with a fairly flat front yard and only one small step at the enrty. When I came home with my broken ankle a year and a half ago, I stayed for a few months at a house that was a block away.

Carolyn, Cost is minimal and you'll never be sorry you allowed for expansion.

In fact, you might use up 100 with the swap.

Elec range, elec dryer, and central air will probably consume the 100 amps. Now add a microwave, second fridge, disposal, dishwasher, and the large screen TVs pull much more than old TVs.

Lifestyles change, adding MORE elctircal usage. When MY home was built in 1954 the owner was an engineer and overbult everything. He overbuilt the elec breaker panel by installing 100 amp service.

I bought a hot tub for Wifey and it needed 50 amps. The electrician calculated that in 2012 we were using 250 amps!! on the 100 amp box with everyday stuff. (BEFORE adding the hot tub!)

My inspectors require we install hard wired smoke detectors if we upgrade the box. It increases the cost but is a very good thing.

Carolyn, another thougth: you;ll need a new riser. My guess is the exisiting "entrance cable" is small, old, cracked, and unsafe.

V, the original box had been added on-to many times over the years PRIOR to our occupancy - a tag-on box for the pool house and pump, another add-on box for central air, installed a double oven, disposal, radon system...

The electrician really got my 'tention when he had me place my hand on the front of the panel and it was toasty warm!

This one you dont even need to think about.

Go with the 200 amp.

I, too, vote for the 200 amp service.

I just paid a master electrician about $1,800.00 to upgrade from 60 amp fuse box to a modern 200 amp breaker box. ARC fault breakers are code now and they are not cheap.

Sometimes you can find 125 or 150 amp boxes, but the cost of that 200 amp box is not that much more, and it will allow for future expansion, just the cost of running more circuits, not a cost of a complete tear out and replace.

All the sticker shock comes when you see the copper prices - ouch, I will mention I have 22 1000sq ft units running on 60 amp main breakers, electric range/armstrong wall-pak-hvac/dishwashers-disposal/4 20 amp countertop circuits plus microwave hoods along with each room ceiling fan/lites and all the noise college students enjoy since 2003, I am still waiting for the first tripped breaker call, someday it will happen, hair dryers have gone into the tub making a gfci save the person who picked it up from dancing the shockwave. Get a load calculation before wasting money on big copper feeders and the other stuff you do not need.

Carolyn, in 40+ years as a LL / contractor, I have never had a client or myself "said gee I wish I had gone with a smaller size electrical, gas or water service". IMO you should go with the new 200 amp service.

It will never be any less expensive than now, gives you options on what you can add electric wise and it's a good feature for if you ever decide to sell this unit.

A lot of the McMansions around here are going with 400 & 800 amp services along with a 100 or 200 amp backup generator. Mostly it's a status thing especially the generator. In my little town it's rare that we ever have a power outage & when we do it's usually fixed within an hour or two.

I normally pay about $2,100.00 to upgrade to 200 amp with a Murray load center, new grounds, new meter socket, new plastic mast & permit. If the service is run under ground the price can easily double. This is work done by a fully licensed & insured electrical contractor.

200 amp minimum has been required by code here for YEARS.

Since you have gas furnace and water heater, you could likely get away with less... but I'd still spend the extra $$ to go with 200.

After I get bids, I will go back and reread all the comments here. The main reason I asked the contractor about going 200 amp was that as long as I was having to change a lot of htings, why not spend a little more and go to 200 amp.

KCP&L's opinion on this is...

To avoid expensive alterations later, the service entrance should be adequate for future growth as well as for present requirements. It is recommended that all new service entrances have a minimum capacity of 100 amps. However, all new meter sockets shall be rated for 200 amps.

200.

Just today, about half a day ago we were speaking of the same thing. I had a 100 amp panel, and a few 200 am panels. This for a two bedroom shack.

We decided that the 200 amp was needed in case I wanted to use electric baseboard...and that if the "man" caught us doing the heavy up that we would have to pull a permit...that being the case, if I go to the trouble of getting a permit than I may as well get the 200.

Years ago we quietly put in a 100, and I ended up packing that box and that was without electric base board heating.

The labor should be the same, material costs for the new riser will be a touch more. Get a few bids and save your money that way.

Upgrading to 200A service will likely not save you money unless your current load is significantly above 100A - in which case you may be generating noticeable resistance-based heat transfers at the panel and adding a few Kwh to your electric bill. Upgrading to 200A service provides you with the opportunity to lessen loads on individual zones by adding