An electrical emergency is any situation where a fault in your wiring, switchboard, or appliances creates an immediate risk of fire, electric shock, or loss of power to critical systems. In Sydney, that means knowing what to do in the next few minutes — not what to google at leisure.

This guide covers the most common residential electrical emergencies, what to do and what not to do in each one, and how to get a licensed electrician to your property as fast as possible.

Landmark Electrical operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week across Greater Sydney. $0 call-out fee. Licensed NSW REC 377159C. Typical response time under 60 minutes. Call now: 0405 091 456.

What Counts as an Electrical Emergency?

Some faults are inconvenient. Others are dangerous. The difference matters because it determines whether you wait until business hours or call immediately.

Call an emergency electrician immediately for:

• Any burning smell coming from a switchboard, power point, or appliance that is still connected to power
• Visible sparks or arcing from any fixed electrical fitting or wiring
• A circuit breaker or safety switch that trips repeatedly and cannot be reset
• Complete loss of power to the property with no explanation from your retailer’s outage map
• Water flooding near your electrical switchboard, meter box, or exposed wiring
• Any situation where someone has received an electric shock
• A hot or discoloured power point or light fitting
• Smoke from any electrical fitting

Can usually wait until business hours:

• A single circuit or power point that has stopped working (no sparks, no heat, no smell)
• A light fitting that has failed
• A safety switch that tripped once and has not repeated
• General electrical maintenance or upgrades

If you are ever unsure whether something is an emergency, treat it as one.

What to Do in Each Common Electrical Emergency

Burning smell from the switchboard

Turn off the main switch immediately. Do not attempt to open the switchboard enclosure. Do not reset any breakers. Leave the building if the smell intensifies or if you see smoke. Call Landmark Electrical on 0405 091 456.

Burning smells from switchboards almost always indicate arcing — electrical sparking inside the panel, which can ignite the wiring insulation. This is not a fault you can self-diagnose or temporarily manage. Power must stay off until a licensed electrician has inspected and confirmed the panel is safe.

Sparks or arcing from a power point or fitting

Do not touch the affected outlet or fitting. If possible, turn off the circuit breaker for that circuit from the switchboard (without touching the affected outlet). If you cannot isolate the circuit, turn off the main switch. Call an emergency electrician. Do not use the outlet or fitting until it has been inspected and repaired.

A single spark when plugging in or unplugging an appliance is normal. Sustained arcing, sparks that appear without an appliance connected, or sparks accompanied by a smell are not.

Complete loss of power

First, check whether your neighbours have power. If the whole street is out, the fault is with the network operator (Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy). Call their fault line — Ausgrid: 13 13 88, Endeavour Energy: 131 003.

If your neighbours have power and you do not, check your switchboard. If your main switch has tripped, reset it. If your safety switches (RCDs) have tripped, press the reset button. If resetting does not restore power, or if the breaker trips again immediately, do not keep resetting — call a licensed electrician.

If all your breakers are in the “on” position but you have no power, the fault may be in the consumer mains or meter — which is network operator territory. Your electrician can help diagnose which side of the meter the fault is on.

Electric shock

If someone has received an electric shock:

1. Do not touch the person if they are still in contact with the electrical source — you will receive the same shock
2. Turn off the power at the switchboard main switch, or use a dry wooden stick to push the person away from the source
3. Call Triple Zero (000) immediately — electric shock can cause cardiac arrest that is not immediately apparent
4. Begin CPR if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, and continue until paramedics arrive
5. Call Landmark Electrical to inspect and identify the fault before power is restored

Electric shocks are medical emergencies. Always call 000 first, regardless of how minor the shock appears.

Water near electrical fittings

If water is entering your home near electrical wiring, a switchboard, or an exposed power point, turn off the main switch before any water reaches the electrical fittings. Do not attempt to dry out or assess electrical fittings yourself. Call an emergency electrician to inspect and certify the installation before power is restored.

Water damage to electrical wiring is not always immediately visible. Moisture can penetrate cable insulation and create a latent shock and fire risk that is not apparent until the installation dries out and cracks.

A circuit breaker or safety switch that will not reset

If a breaker or RCD trips and will not reset, the most likely cause is a fault on the circuit — a short circuit, an earth fault, or an appliance that has failed and is drawing excessive current. To identify the problem:

1. Unplug every appliance on the affected circuit
2. Attempt to reset the breaker or RCD
3. If it holds, plug appliances back in one at a time until it trips again — the last appliance you plugged in is the likely fault
4. If it trips immediately with nothing plugged in, the fault is in the circuit wiring, not an appliance — call an electrician

What NOT to Do in an Electrical Emergency

• Do not attempt to repair any fixed wiring yourself — electrical installation work in NSW must be carried out by a licensed electrician and covered by a CCEW. Illegal electrical work can void your home insurance and is a criminal offence
• Do not use water on an electrical fire — water conducts electricity; use a dry powder or CO₂ extinguisher rated for electrical fires (Class E in Australia)
• Do not keep resetting a breaker that keeps tripping — repeated trips indicate a persistent fault; resetting forces the circuit back under load and risks making the fault worse
• Do not assume a fault has “fixed itself” — intermittent faults often precede more serious events; if a fault cleared on its own, still have it inspected
• Do not use electrical appliances in a flooded room — even if power is off in that room, water can travel through conduit and wiring to energised areas

Why Response Time Matters

An arcing fault in a switchboard can start a fire in minutes. A loss of power affecting a medical device or a security system can have immediate consequences. For genuine emergencies, response time is the most important factor when choosing who to call.

Landmark Electrical maintains a 24/7 on-call roster across Greater Sydney. We aim to have a licensed electrician on your property within 60 minutes of your call for inner-city and suburban Sydney. $0 call-out fee applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including nights, weekends, and public holidays.

For the cost of after-hours emergency electrical work, see our dedicated guide on emergency electrician costs in Sydney.

What to Expect When the Electrician Arrives

When a Landmark electrician arrives for an emergency call, they will:

1. Assess safety first — confirm the immediate hazard is contained (power is off to the affected area, no ongoing fire risk)
2. Diagnose the fault — use test equipment to identify the location and nature of the fault (short circuit, earth fault, arcing connection, failed appliance, wiring degradation)
3. Repair or make safe — either repair the fault on the spot (replacing a failed component, re-terminating a loose connection), or make the installation safe with the fault isolated (removing a failed circuit from service) and scheduling a return visit for full repair
4. Test and restore power — test the affected and adjacent circuits before restoring power to confirm everything is safe
5. Explain and document — explain what they found and what they did, and issue a CCEW for any prescribed electrical work carried out

You will receive a written invoice on the day and a CCEW where applicable.

Landmark Electrical Emergency Service — Coverage

We cover all suburbs across Greater Sydney including:

• Inner city and eastern suburbs — Sydney CBD, Surry Hills, Newtown, Bondi, Randwick, Coogee, Maroubra
• Inner west — Leichhardt, Balmain, Annandale, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Strathfield
• North Shore — Chatswood, Lane Cove, Gordon, Hornsby, Turramurra
• Northern beaches — Manly, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Mona Vale
• Western Sydney — Parramatta, Castle Hill, Blacktown, Penrith
• South-western Sydney — Liverpool, Campbelltown, Camden
• Hills District — Baulkham Hills, Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Bella Vista

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a $0 call-out fee?

A call-out fee (also called a service call fee or travel fee) is a fixed charge some electricians apply simply for arriving at your property, before any labour or materials are charged. Landmark Electrical does not charge a call-out fee at any time of day. You pay only for the actual labour and materials used on the job.

Is it safe to stay in the house during an electrical emergency?

It depends on the nature of the fault. If you have turned off the main switch and there is no ongoing smoke or fire, staying in the house is generally safe. If there is smoke, a burning smell that persists after the power is off, or any active fire risk, leave the building and call Triple Zero (000) before calling an electrician.

How do I know if the electrical fault is my responsibility or the network operator’s?

Your responsibility starts at the customer connection point — the terminals on your meter. Wiring, circuits, and the switchboard inside your property are your responsibility. The service line from the street to your meter is the network operator’s (Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy). If your neighbours have power and you do not, and the fault appears to be before your switchboard, call the network operator first. A licensed electrician can help identify which side of the meter the fault is on.

Do I get a receipt after emergency electrical work?

Yes. Landmark provides a written invoice for all work carried out, including labour rates and material costs. For any prescribed electrical work (installation, not just inspection), you will also receive a CCEW. Retain both for your property records.