If the wiring of your home is its’ “central nervous system” then your electrical panel would be its’ heart. Just like the human body needs to be in good shape to work properly so also your homes wiring needs to be in top shape to give you the power you need. Utility companies are often responsible for the wiring from the street to the point of attachment on your home, from that point on it is the homeowners responsibility to ensure safe workings of the electrical system. that means even the meter pan (the box on the side of the house with the meter in it) is your responsibility. Anyone who has ever had a tree pull down the wires from the street has found that out the hard way.
