Call 999, 105 or an electrician based on the danger
Call 999 for immediate danger, 105 for a network fault, and an electrician for a dangerous fault inside your property.
| What you notice | Risk level | Safe action now | Who to call |
|---|
| Smoke, flames, severe shock | Immediate | Leave the area and call | 999 |
| Fallen outside cable or local street outage | High | Stay well clear, keep others away | 105 |
| Hot socket, burning smell, sparks, wet consumer unit | High | Stop use and isolate only if safe | Electrician |
| One appliance trips a circuit | Variable | Unplug only if undamaged and dry | Electrician or repairer |
Call 999 if you see flames, smoke from a socket or consumer unit, or exposed live wires where someone could be harmed. Move people away first. Never throw water on an electrical fire, because water can carry electricity like a wet path carries muddy footprints.
Call 105 when a full outage affects neighbours, street lighting, or nearby properties in places such as Mumbles, Morriston, Gower, Neath, or Port Talbot. The free 105 service connects you to the local network operator, including National Grid Electricity Distribution in this area.
Call a 24-hour electrician for a smoking consumer unit, hot fuse box, repeated RCD trip, sparks from sockets or switches, buzzing, hissing, or water reaching fixed electrics. An RCD is a safety switch that cuts power when it detects electricity taking an unsafe route, rather like a tap that shuts when a pipe starts leaking.
An electrical emergency does not always begin with flames. Common electrical fire warning signs include a burning smell from a socket, brown marks around a plug, intermittent crackling, lights that dim when an appliance starts, and a socket or switch that feels unusually warm. These symptoms can indicate a loose connection or an arc fault, where electricity jumps across a small gap and creates intense heat inside the fitting.
Stop using the affected circuit and do not cover, spray, or dismantle the accessory. If smoke, flames, or a rapidly worsening smell appear, leave the area and call 999; otherwise, arrange an emergency electrician.
In the first five minutes, avoid making it worse
In the first five minutes, keep people away from the fault and only switch off power if you can reach the main switch without approaching smoke, heat, water, or damage.
Only isolate the supply if it is safe: the consumer unit must be cool, dry, clear of smoke and easy to reach. If any of those conditions is missing, step away and call 999 or an emergency electrician as appropriate.
Switch off the main switch only when the consumer unit is cool, dry, free from smoke, and reachable without stepping through water or near damaged wiring. Use dry hands and stand on a dry surface. Do not remove covers, touch exposed conductors, or reset breakers to investigate the fault.
If the main switch cannot be reached safely, leave the property’s electrics alone, move people away, and call 999 for smoke or fire, or an emergency electrician for an internal electrical fault.
Tell the operator or electrician whether the fault affects all power, one room, lights, sockets, or a single appliance. Mention recent leaks, drilling, storm damage, a burning smell, buzzing, visible scorch marks, and any shock.
A full outage differs from a partial power loss
A total loss of power affecting neighbours usually points to the electricity network, while a partial power loss inside one building usually points to an internal circuit or appliance fault.
You may unplug ordinary appliances on the affected circuit and make one careful reset if there is no heat, smell, water, or damage. If it trips again, leave it off. An emergency electrician can identify the circuit and isolate it so safer parts of the property may stay powered.
If one appliance causes the same circuit to trip, unplug it only when its plug, lead, and surrounding area are dry and undamaged. Leave the appliance unplugged, then make one careful reset of the RCD or breaker. If the circuit stays on with that appliance disconnected, the appliance is the likely cause and can usually be repaired or replaced through a normal appointment.
If the circuit still trips with appliances unplugged, or there is heat, smell, buzzing, or visible damage, leave it off and call an electrician.
Expect fault finding, isolation and clear costs
An emergency electrician should first make the danger safe, then find the affected circuit, isolate it, and explain whether a temporary repair or full repair is needed.
An emergency electrician is usually not needed for a clearly faulty appliance that can be unplugged safely, a blown light bulb, or a confirmed area-wide outage with no damage inside the property. Use 105 for the network issue, or book a normal appointment if there is no heat, smell, shock, water, or visible damage.
For work in homes, ask whether the electrician is registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT where the work requires notification. The work should follow BS 7671 IET Wiring Regulations, the UK rules that set the expected safety standard for electrical installations.
Repairs that may need a later visit
Some emergency visits end with safe isolation rather than a complete repair. This is sensible when walls must dry, replacement parts are needed, or further tests are required. Think of it as closing a leaking valve before replacing the pipe.
Emergency pricing should be clear before work starts. In many UK areas, a daytime call-out fee may be around £80–£150, while an out-of-hours attendance can be roughly £150–£300 or more, often before labour and replacement parts. These are only guide prices: the final cost depends on travel distance, the time of the call, the length of fault finding, access to the consumer unit, whether the circuit can be made safe quickly, and the cost of parts.
Ask whether VAT, diagnostic time, labour, materials, and any night or bank-holiday uplift are included, and request approval before non-essential repair work continues.
After an emergency repair, test that smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide alarms still work, keep the electrician’s report and invoice, and note which circuit was isolated or repaired. Avoid repeatedly resetting a breaker simply because power has returned. Book a fuller inspection if the property has an old fuse box, no RCD protection, frequent flickering, brittle cables, two-pin sockets, loose accessories, or circuits that cannot safely support modern appliances.
Recurrent trips, warm switches, and extensions used as permanent wiring are also signs that the installation may need upgrading rather than another short-term repair.
FAQs
When should I call an emergency electrician?
Call an emergency electrician immediately for burning smells, sparks, a hot consumer unit, water near fixed electrics, or a partial power loss with heat, damage, buzzing, or essential circuits affected. If a circuit repeatedly trips but everything is cool, dry, and undamaged, leave it off and arrange prompt fault finding. Call 999 for fire, smoke, severe electric shock, or an immediate threat to life.
Should I call 105 or an electrician for a power cut?
Call 105 if neighbours or the wider street are also without power, or an external cable is damaged. Call an electrician if only your property, one circuit, or part of your building is affected.
Can I reset an RCD that keeps tripping?
You can make one careful reset after unplugging ordinary appliances, only if everything is dry, cool, and undamaged. If it trips again, leave it off and arrange fault finding.
Is a buzzing socket an electrical emergency?
Yes, buzzing or hissing from a socket, switch, or consumer unit needs urgent assessment, especially with heat, smell, or flickering. Stop using that circuit and call an emergency electrician.
What should I do if water reaches the fuse box?
Do not touch the fuse box or try to reset switches. Keep away, stop the water source only if that is safe, and call an emergency electrician or 999 if there is smoke or fire.
Do emergency electricians charge more at night?
Usually, yes. Night, weekend, and bank-holiday work may add an out-of-hours uplift to attendance, labour, and materials, so confirm each charge before approving repairs.
Can a small electric shock be ignored?
No. Stop using the source and arrange an electrician, because a shock can mean damaged insulation or poor earthing. Call 999 if there are serious symptoms, burns, or loss of consciousness.
Do landlords need to act on an electrical fault?
Yes. Landlords must respond promptly where tenants face danger from an electrical installation. Keep the electrician’s report, repair record, and any certificate supplied after the work.
Make the next call that keeps people safe
- Choose 999 where fire, smoke, or life-threatening danger is present
- Choose 105 for an outside cable or a wider outage
- Choose an emergency electrician for a dangerous fault inside the property
Do not let a temporary return of power persuade you that a hot socket, burnt smell, or recurring trip has fixed itself.
