What counts as an electrical emergency?
Call an electrician straight away, and do not wait, if you have any of these: - A burning smell from a socket, switch, or the consumer unit. - Scorch marks, discolouration, or melting around fittings. - A circuit that trips repeatedly and will not reset. - Complete loss of power to the property, or a large part of it, that is not a known supply cut. - Any sign that water has reached your electrics. - A buzzing or crackling sound from electrical fittings.
These are not problems to leave overnight. If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, it is always safer to ask.
Why does my electricity keep tripping?
A trip is a protective device cutting power because it has detected a problem. The usual culprits are: - A faulty appliance, by far the most common cause. - An overloaded circuit with too much drawing at once. - Moisture getting into a circuit, fitting, or outdoor socket. - A wiring fault in the fixed installation.
The device is doing exactly what it should. Repeated tripping is a signal to find the cause, not to keep resetting it and hoping.
How do I find what is causing a trip?
If there is no burning smell, no scorching, and no water involved, you can safely narrow it down: - Unplug everything on the affected circuit. - Reset the tripped switch at the consumer unit. - Plug appliances back in one at a time, waiting between each. - When it trips again, the last appliance you reconnected is the likely culprit. Leave it unplugged and have it checked.
If the circuit trips with everything unplugged, or you find anything that looks or smells wrong, stop and call an electrician.
What should I do in a power cut?
First, check whether it is just your property or the wider area. If neighbours have power too, the fault is likely yours. If the whole street is dark, it is probably a network outage and your distribution operator is the people to contact.
If only your home is affected, check whether the main switch or a circuit has tripped at the consumer unit. If resetting it does not hold, or it trips again immediately, leave it off and call a qualified electrician rather than forcing it.
How do I stay safe until help arrives?
A few simple rules: - If you can smell burning or see scorching, switch off the affected circuit or the main switch if it is safe to reach. - Never touch anything that is wet, scorched, or sparking. - Keep water well away from electrics. - Do not keep resetting a device that trips straight back, it is telling you there is a fault.
When in doubt, isolate what you safely can and wait for a professional.