Some electrical problems do not wait until Monday.
If you smell burning, see arcing, or the panel is hot, follow the steps below — and call 911 first if there is smoke or fire.
If there is smoke or fire, call 911 first. An electrician is the second call, not the first.
What to do right now.
Short version: remove the energy if you can do it safely, and do not keep resetting a breaker that is telling you something.
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1
If you smell burning or see arcing, shut off the main breaker only if you can reach it safely and it is not hot, wet, or sparking.
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Do not touch a panel that is hot to the touch, wet, or actively arcing. Leave the area.
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3
If there is smoke or fire, leave the building and call 911 first. Call an electrician second.
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4
Unplug affected appliances if you can do so without reaching past damaged wiring.
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Do not reset a breaker repeatedly. It is tripping for a reason and resetting it removes the protection.
These are. Do not wait for a scheduled visit.
- Burning plastic or hot-metal smell near a panel, outlet or switch
- Visible sparks, arcing, or scorch marks on a device
- A panel, breaker or outlet that is hot to the touch
- Total or partial power loss with no utility outage nearby
- Water reaching electrical equipment after a flood or leak
- A service mast or meter base pulled away from the building
- A breaker that trips immediately every time it is reset
- Buzzing or crackling from inside a wall or panel
Not on this list? A single dead outlet, a fixture that stopped working, or a flickering bulb is normal service work — book it at standard rates instead of paying an emergency premium for it.
Emergency electrical work.
What counts as an electrical emergency?
Anything with a fire or shock risk: burning smells, arcing, sparking, hot panels or outlets, exposed conductors, water contacting electrical equipment, and a service mast pulled loose. A single dead outlet in a spare room is not an emergency, and you should not pay emergency rates for one.
Should I turn off the main breaker?
If you can reach it safely and you have a burning smell or visible arcing, yes — killing power removes the energy driving the fault. Do not touch a panel that is hot, wet, or actively arcing; leave it and call from outside.
Is the outage my problem or the utility's?
Roughly: everything up to and including the meter is the utility's, and everything past it is yours. A useful first check is whether your neighbours also lost power. If the service mast or meter base is physically damaged, both parties are usually involved.
Not an emergency, but it should not wait either?
Buzzing, warm outlets, a breaker that trips weekly — those are early warnings. Cheaper to diagnose now.
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