

Your lights don’t flicker when the AC kicks on. Your panel isn’t warm to the touch. Your generator starts every time the power drops—and it drops often enough in Alamance County that you’ve stopped counting.
When storms roll through Nelson and the surrounding area, you’re not scrambling for flashlights or wondering if your sump pump will work. You’re not calling three different electricians hoping one shows up. You know exactly who to call, what it’ll cost, and when we’ll be there.
That’s what happens when your electrical work is done right the first time. No callbacks. No surprises. No wondering if the person who wired your house actually knew what they were doing. Just systems that work, code that’s met, and a master electrician who’s been doing this since before flat-screen TVs existed.
ESP Electrical Service Providers started because there was a gap in Nelson and the surrounding counties—homes and businesses needed electrical work that wasn’t tied to new construction. Work that showed up on time, priced things clearly, and didn’t leave a mess behind.
We’re locally owned. Andy Helton, our master electrician, holds state licenses in both Electrical and Master Electrician, plus a Class B Contractor license. We’re members of NECA, the National Electrical Contractors Association. Our trucks are stocked, our techs wear uniforms, and we clean up before we leave.
We’ve worked in Nelson, Burlington, Chapel Hill, and across Alamance, Chatham, and Orange counties for over 20 years. We know the weather here. We know the homes here. And we know what happens when electrical systems aren’t maintained properly in this climate.

You call. A person answers—not a voicemail system. We talk through what’s happening, and if it’s an emergency, we move fast. If it’s not, we schedule a time that works for your day, not ours.
A uniformed technician shows up in a fully stocked truck. They assess the situation, explain what needs to happen, and give you flat-rate pricing before any work starts. No hourly guessing games. No “we’ll see when we get in there” pricing. You know the cost upfront.
Once you approve, the work gets done. We pull from the truck inventory—brands like GE, Cutler Hammer, Siemens, Generac, Square D—so there’s rarely a need for a parts run. When the job’s finished, we test everything, walk you through what we did, and clean up completely.
If something doesn’t feel right or you have questions later, you call us directly. We don’t consider the job done until you’re satisfied. That’s not a slogan—it’s how we’ve stayed in business for two decades in a town where word travels fast.

Electrical repairs and upgrades for both residential and commercial properties. Panel upgrades for older homes that can’t handle modern electrical loads. Generator installations—and this matters more every year as storms knock out power across Alamance County with increasing frequency.
EV charging station installations, because more drivers in Nelson and Chapel Hill are making the switch to electric vehicles. Emergency electrical services available after hours, because electrical problems don’t wait for business hours. Wiring services for additions, remodels, and new construction projects.
We handle commercial electrical work for businesses and facilities that can’t afford downtime. Code compliance work for properties that need to pass inspection. Troubleshooting for intermittent problems that other electricians couldn’t figure out.
North Carolina sees its share of severe weather—ice storms, high winds, heavy rain, and the occasional hurricane remnant. Duke Energy reported over 700,000 customers without power during recent storms. That’s why generator installations have become one of our most requested services. People are tired of losing food, missing work, and sitting in the dark while they wait for the grid to come back online.

We use flat-rate pricing, which means you know the cost before we start. The price depends on what needs to be done—a simple outlet repair costs less than a full panel upgrade or generator installation.
Most service calls in the Nelson area for basic electrical repairs run between $150 and $400. Panel upgrades typically range from $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the amperage and whether we’re replacing a fuse box or an outdated breaker panel. Whole-house generator installations start around $5,000 and go up based on the size of your home and the generator capacity you need.
We don’t charge by the hour, so you’re not watching the clock while we work. The price we quote is the price you pay—no surprises when we hand you the invoice. If the scope changes or we find additional issues, we discuss it with you first and get approval before doing any extra work.
Yes. North Carolina requires electrical work to be performed by licensed electricians, and there’s a good reason for that. Electrical systems are dangerous when installed incorrectly—house fires, shocks, and code violations that show up during home inspections or insurance claims.
A licensed electrical contractor carries insurance, pulls permits when required, and knows the current National Electrical Code and North Carolina-specific amendments. If something goes wrong with unpermitted or unlicensed work, your homeowner’s insurance may not cover the damage. When you sell your home, unpermitted electrical work can kill a deal or force you to pay for costly corrections.
We hold state licenses in Electrical and Master Electrician, plus a Class B Contractor license. That means we’re legally authorized to perform electrical work in Nelson and throughout North Carolina, and our work meets the standards that inspectors and insurance companies expect. It also means if there’s ever a problem, you have recourse—and we have the insurance to back it up.
Most panel upgrades take between four and eight hours, depending on the condition of your existing panel, the amperage you’re upgrading to, and whether we need to relocate the panel or update the service entrance.
If your home still has a fuse box or an old 60-amp or 100-amp panel, upgrading to a modern 200-amp panel gives you the capacity to run central air, electric appliances, and modern electronics without tripping breakers. Older homes in Nelson and the surrounding area often need this upgrade before adding a generator, EV charger, or major appliances.
We schedule panel upgrades during the day when we can coordinate with the power company if needed. Your power will be off during part of the installation, so we recommend planning around that—usually a few hours. We test everything thoroughly before we leave, and you’ll have a system that’s safer, more reliable, and ready for whatever you plug into it.
Start with licensing and insurance. Ask for their North Carolina electrical license number and proof of liability insurance. If they hesitate or can’t provide it, walk away. You want a contractor who pulls permits when required and doesn’t cut corners on code compliance.
Look for flat-rate pricing or at least clear estimates before work begins. Hourly billing can spiral, and vague estimates leave you guessing. A good electrical contractor explains what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and what it costs—before they start.
Check how long they’ve been in business locally. Fly-by-night contractors disappear when problems arise. A company that’s been serving Nelson, Burlington, and the surrounding area for years has a reputation to protect. Also ask about their service trucks—are they stocked, or will they need to make multiple parts runs? Fully stocked trucks mean faster job completion and less disruption to your day.
Yes. Whole-house generators are one of the most common installations we do in Alamance and Orange counties. With the frequency of storm-related outages in North Carolina, more homeowners are choosing standby generators that kick on automatically when the power drops.
We install Generac and other quality brands sized to your home’s electrical load. A typical installation includes the generator unit, a transfer switch, gas or propane connection, and a concrete pad for the unit to sit on. The transfer switch is what allows the generator to power your home safely without backfeeding into the utility lines.
Installation usually takes one to two days depending on the complexity of your electrical panel and fuel source. Once it’s in, the generator monitors your power supply and starts automatically within seconds of an outage. You’ll need to schedule annual maintenance to keep it running reliably, but that’s straightforward. When the next storm rolls through and your neighbors are in the dark, your lights stay on.
Yes. Electrical emergencies don’t wait for business hours, and neither do we. If you’re dealing with a sparking panel, burning smell, complete power loss, or any situation that feels unsafe, call us. We provide after-hours and emergency electrical services throughout Nelson and the surrounding area.
Emergency calls get priority response. We’re not going to leave you sitting in the dark or dealing with a dangerous electrical situation overnight. Our technicians carry the tools and parts needed to handle most emergency repairs on the spot, so you’re not waiting days for a follow-up visit.
Keep in mind that emergency service rates are higher than scheduled service—that’s standard across the industry because we’re pulling technicians away from their time off. But if your power’s out, your panel’s smoking, or you’re dealing with an electrical hazard, the cost is worth the safety and peace of mind. We’ll stabilize the situation, make it safe, and schedule any additional work that’s needed once the emergency is handled.
Other Services we provide in Nelson

Electrical Service Providers (ESP) has been in business since 2002. ESP started out performing wiring services to new construction, remodeling projects and residential homes. Our company’s president identified a market for electrical services to be performed in homes and businesses independent of new construction. Read More about Electrical Service Providers>>
Chapel Hill, Burlington, Carrboro, Durham, Gibsonville, Hillsborough, Graham, Pittsboro, Morrisville, Cary

Electrical Service Providers (ESP) has been in business since 2002. ESP started out performing wiring services to new construction, remodeling projects and residential homes. Our company’s president identified a market for electrical services to be performed in homes and businesses independent of new construction. Read More about Electrical Service Providers>>