Do I need to do anything before the electrician arrives?

Switch off what you safely can, keep clear of anything sparking or smelling of burning, and try to have easy access to the switchboard if possible. Beyond that, just wait — don't attempt a fix yourself.

Will I get a price before the work starts?

Yes — you should be told the callout rate and get a clear idea of cost before anything beyond the initial diagnosis happens. If a bigger job is uncovered, that gets quoted separately before proceeding.

What if the fault can't be fixed on the spot?

Sometimes a part needs to be sourced, or the fix is bigger than an emergency visit can safely complete in one go. In that case, the priority is making the property safe first, with a clear plan for finishing the job properly.

What to Expect When You Call an Emergency Electrician

An emergency callout is a strange experience if you've never had one — someone's coming to your house to deal with something that might involve exposed wiring or your whole switchboard, and it's not always clear what that actually looks like. Here's the realistic version.

The Phone Call

You'll be asked what you're actually seeing or smelling — sparking, a burning smell, which circuit or area is affected, whether it's isolated to your property or a wider outage. This isn't stalling, it's how a decent electrician works out how urgent it genuinely is and what to bring.

Before We Arrive

You'll usually be told what's safe to do in the meantime — switching off what you safely can, keeping clear of anything visibly damaged or sparking, and generally not attempting a fix yourself. You should also get a realistic idea of timing, not a vague "sometime today."

On Arrival

The first job is making the situation safe, not necessarily fixing the underlying cause immediately. That might mean isolating a circuit or the whole switchboard while the actual fault gets diagnosed properly, rather than guessing at a quick fix under pressure.

Diagnosis and the Actual Fix

Once it's safe, the fault gets traced properly — which circuit, what's actually wrong, and what fixing it involves. For a lot of emergency calls, this is a contained fix completed on the spot. Occasionally it uncovers something bigger, like a switchboard that needs upgrading, in which case that gets explained and quoted separately rather than being sprung on you as a fait accompli.

What You Should Be Told Before Anything Proceeds

The callout rate, whether it differs from a standard daytime rate, and roughly what the fix will cost before work beyond the initial diagnosis happens. A legitimate electrician doesn't spring a number on you after the fact.

Afterwards

You should walk away knowing what was actually wrong, not just that "it's fixed now." A proper explanation of the fault is part of the job, not an optional extra.

If you're dealing with something urgent right now, our Emergency Electrical page covers what we handle, or just call directly.