When Is an Electrical Problem an Emergency?
How to recognise danger, reduce immediate risk and call for the right help
Treat an electrical problem as an emergency when there is fire, smoke, a burning smell, visible arcing, electric shock, exposed live parts, water affecting electrical equipment, or repeated tripping accompanied by heat or damage. Keep people away, call emergency services for fire or immediate danger, and contact an emergency electrician once it is safe to do so.
Situations that need immediate action
A complete power cut is inconvenient, but it is not automatically an electrical emergency within the property. The level of urgency depends on the signs around it. Smoke, heat, crackling, scorched accessories, a strong burning smell or a shock indicate a much higher risk than a simple supply interruption.
- Fire, smoke or glowing electrical equipment.
- A person receiving an electric shock or burn.
- Exposed conductors or damaged equipment that may be live.
- Water entering a consumer unit, socket, light fitting or other fixed electrical equipment.
- Sparking or arcing that continues after an appliance is switched off.
- A consumer unit or cable that is unusually hot, discoloured or making a persistent buzzing sound.
- Repeated operation of an RCD or circuit breaker together with a burning smell, heat or visible damage.
What to do first
For fire, smoke or an injured person, call the emergency services. Do not touch someone who may still be in contact with a live electrical source. Do not use water on an electrical fire. Move other people away from the area and follow the emergency operator's instructions.
If it is safe and you can reach the consumer unit without passing damaged equipment or standing in water, switching off the main supply may reduce risk. Do not open the consumer unit or remove covers. When there is any doubt, keep clear and wait for trained help.
Urgent problems that may not involve visible fire
An intermittent burning smell, a socket that becomes hot, unexplained crackling or a circuit that repeatedly trips can indicate deteriorated connections or damaged equipment. The absence of flames does not make these signs safe to ignore. Stop using the affected equipment and arrange urgent inspection.
Loss of power to essential medical equipment, communal safety systems, refrigeration in a business or critical security equipment may also make a fault operationally urgent even when there is no immediate sign of fire.
When a same-day appointment is usually appropriate
Some faults are not life-threatening emergencies but should still be assessed promptly: several dead sockets, partial loss of power, an RCD that will not reset, lights flickering across multiple rooms, or a damaged accessory that can be isolated. Keep the affected circuit or equipment off and request same-day advice.
Avoid relying on extension leads across rooms or bypassing a protective device to restore power. Temporary workarounds can introduce new hazards and make the original fault more difficult to assess.
Information to give the electrician
Tell the electrician what happened immediately before the problem, whether there is heat, smell or visible damage, which protective device operated, and whether the issue affects one accessory, one circuit or the whole property. Mention water leaks, recent drilling, building work or a newly connected appliance.
Photographs can help with triage, but do not approach or touch damaged equipment to take them. A precise description is more useful than risking closer access.
Frequently asked questions
Is a tripping RCD always an emergency?
Not always, but repeated tripping indicates a fault that needs investigation. It becomes more urgent when accompanied by heat, smell, moisture, damage or loss of essential services.
Should I keep resetting a circuit breaker?
No. A protective device operates for a reason. Repeated resetting without identifying the cause may re-energise a dangerous fault.
Who should I call if the whole street has no power?
Check your electricity network operator's outage information. If only your property is affected or there are signs of damage inside, contact an electrician as well.
Next step
For smoke, fire or injury, contact emergency services first. For urgent electrical faults in a safe-to-access London property, call the 24/7 line. Call 020 3038 6072 or use the website enquiry form to discuss the property or premises.