If your home was built before the year 2000, there is a good chance it still has a 100-amp or even 60-amp electrical panel. At the time, that was sufficient. But today, with larger homes, more appliances, and a growing list of high-draw electrical devices, many Coastal Bend homeowners are finding that their old panel simply cannot keep up.
What Uses All That Power?
Modern homes have far more electrical demand than homes built just 20 or 30 years ago. Central air conditioning systems, multiple refrigerators and freezers, home office equipment, large televisions, and an ever-growing collection of smart devices all draw power continuously. Add a few major appliances running at the same time — say, the AC, the dryer, and the oven during a Texas summer afternoon — and a 100-amp panel can be pushed to its absolute limit.
- Central air conditioning: 30–50 amps
- Electric dryer: 20–30 amps
- Electric oven/range: 30–50 amps
- Electric water heater: 20–30 amps
- EV charger: 30–50 amps (Level 2)
- Hot tub or pool pump: 20–50 amps
- These alone can exceed 100 amps — and that does not include lights, outlets, and small appliances.
A 100-amp panel was sized for a different era. Today's appliances, devices, and expectations have outgrown what these panels were designed to deliver.
Signs You Need a 200-Amp Upgrade
Not sure if your panel is undersized? Here are the most common indicators that a 200-amp upgrade is worth considering:
- Your main breaker trips when running the AC and dryer at the same time
- You are planning to add a generator, EV charger, hot tub, or pool
- You are building a home addition or finishing a garage or attic
- You want to add a subpanel for a workshop or barn
- Your panel is full — no empty breaker slots remain
- Lights flicker or dim when major appliances start up
What Does a 200-Amp Upgrade Involve?
A service upgrade from 100 amps to 200 amps is more involved than a simple panel swap. It typically requires replacing the meter base, the service entrance cable from the weatherhead to the panel, the panel itself, and sometimes the grounding system. The utility company — AEP Texas in most of the Coastal Bend — must also be involved to disconnect and reconnect the service drop.
The process generally looks like this: the electrician pulls a permit with the local building department, coordinates a disconnect date with the utility company, completes all the on-site work in one day, and then schedules the inspection. Once the inspection passes, the utility reconnects power and the job is complete.
Plan ahead. Utility coordination with AEP Texas can take 1–2 weeks depending on their schedule. If you are adding a generator or EV charger before summer or hurricane season, start the process early.
Is It Worth the Investment?
For most homeowners, the answer is yes — especially if you plan to stay in the home for more than a few years. A 200-amp panel gives you room for future expansion, eliminates the frustration of tripped breakers, and can increase your home's resale value. Buyers and home inspectors are increasingly aware of electrical capacity, and an undersized panel can become a negotiating point during a sale.