Electrical Emergency: What to Do and Who to Call

An electrical emergency is any situation involving electricity that poses an immediate risk to life, property, or safety. Knowing how to recognise one — and what to do in the first few seconds — can prevent injury, death, or a house fire.

In any of these situations, your first priority is personal safety. Do not put yourself at risk to help someone else — you cannot help if you become a second casualty.

A power cut can be alarming, but in most cases it is not dangerous. The key is to determine whether the power cut affects your area (a network fault) or just your property (an internal fault).

During a power cut, unplug sensitive equipment (computers, TVs) to protect them from voltage surges when the power is restored. Keep fridge and freezer doors closed to preserve the cold — a full freezer will stay frozen for approximately 24 hours.

A burning smell, sparking, or scorch marks associated with the electrical installation are serious warning signs. These indicate an active fault — typically an arcing connection, overloaded circuit, or damaged cable — that can cause a fire.

Once the immediate danger is past, call a qualified electrician. Do not restore the supply until the fault has been found and repaired. The electrician will carry out systematic fault finding to identify the root cause.

Electric shock occurs when a person becomes part of an electrical circuit — current flows through their body. The severity depends on the voltage, the current, the duration of contact, and the path the current takes through the body. Mains voltage (230V) can kill.

After any electric shock incident, the electrical installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified electrician before the supply is restored. The cause of the shock — which could be a faulty appliance, failed earthing, damaged insulation, or a missing RCD — must be identified and rectified.

Flooding creates an extremely dangerous situation with electrical installations. Water is a conductor, and floodwater in contact with sockets, cables, or the consumer unit can create a lethal shock hazard and fire risk.

After a flood, the electrician will carry out comprehensive insulation resistance testing on every circuit, inspect all accessories and junction boxes for water damage, and verify the earthing and bonding. An EICR will be issued once the installation is confirmed safe.

In an electrical emergency, knowing who to call — and in what order — saves time and can save lives.

If you are unsure, err on the side of caution. It is always better to call 999 and find out it was not necessary than to delay and risk someone's life.

In many electrical emergencies, the most important thing a homeowner can do — before calling for help — is isolate the supply at the consumer unit (fuse box). This removes the power and makes the situation safe until a professional arrives.

Important: the consumer unit does not disconnect the supply between the meter and the consumer unit itself. The meter tails remain live even when the main switch is off. Only the DNO can disconnect the supply at the meter or cut-out.

Once the immediate emergency is resolved, you need a qualified electrician to inspect the installation, identify and repair the fault, and certify that the installation is safe before the full supply is restored.

Keep all certificates and reports from the emergency and subsequent repair work. These are important for your records, for insurance claims, and for future reference when selling or letting the property.

Emergency call-outs are high-pressure situations where speed, competence, and professionalism matter most. The homeowner is stressed, the fault may be dangerous, and you need to diagnose, repair, certify, and invoice — often in a single visit.

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