Power Out in Your Property Only
The neighbours still have lights, but part or all of your property has gone dead and the switches in the consumer unit will not stay on.
24/7 emergency call-outs · London
24/7 Emergency Electrician in London
Help at any hour when the power fails, a circuit will not stay on, or a socket, switch or cable is hot, sparking or damaged.
- NICEIC approved
- 24/7 emergency line
- London-based, UK-wide
Simply Electrical Contractors
Clear, Practical Help When an Electrical Fault Is Urgent
Simply Electrical Contractors provides 24-hour emergency electrical assistance across the UK. Call with the property postcode and a clear description of what has happened so availability and the right next step can be discussed.
Electrical faults can present a risk of electric shock, overheating or fire. If there is immediate danger, make sure nobody goes near the affected area, and switch off the electrical supply only if you can reach it safely. Do not remove covers or attempt a temporary repair yourself.
The visit focuses on locating the source of the problem, making the installation safe and explaining any follow-on work that may be required. Availability and arrival timing depend on location and current call-out demand.
Warning signs
Signs That an Electrical Fault Cannot Wait
Some electrical problems are an inconvenience and others are a warning. These are the ones worth a phone call straight away, whatever the hour.
A Breaker or RCD That Keeps Tripping
A protective device that cuts out again the moment it is switched back on is doing its job. Something on that circuit is wrong.
A Burning or Fishy Smell
Overheating electrical parts often give off an acrid or oddly fishy smell. Treat it as a warning even when nothing looks damaged.
Hot or Scorched Sockets and Switches
A faceplate that feels warm, shows brown marks or buzzes usually means a loose connection or an overloaded circuit.
Sparks, Crackling or Flickering Lights
Visible sparking, a crackle from a fitting, or lights dipping in several rooms at once all need checking before the circuit is used again.
Water or Damage Reaching the Wiring
A leak through a ceiling light, a flooded floor, or a cable or fitting that has been cut, crushed or left with live parts showing.
Not sure whether it is urgent? Call and describe it. If the problem can safely wait, planned fault finding is usually the better route. See fault finding.
While you wait
Keep Everyone Safe Until Help Arrives
A few calm steps lower the risk while an electrician is on the way. None of them need tools, and none involve taking anything apart.
Fire, smoke or someone hurt?Get everyone out and call 999 before anything else. If a person is still touching the source of an electric shock, do not touch them. Switch the power off at the main switch if you can reach it safely.
Do
- Keep everyone, pets included, out of the affected room.
- Turn the power off at the main switch in the consumer unit, provided it is dry and you can reach it safely.
- Leave appliances on the affected circuit switched off and unplugged, as long as the socket is cool and undamaged.
- Use a torch instead of candles if the lights are out.
- Note which switches have tripped and what was running at the time.
Do Not
- Switch a tripped breaker or RCD back on more than once.
- Touch switches, sockets or appliances with wet hands, or anywhere water is pooling.
- Take off covers, faceplates or the lid of the consumer unit.
- Patch a fault with tape, fuse wire or a makeshift connection.
- Pour water on anything electrical that is smouldering.
The right number
Who to Call for Which Problem
Not every loss of power is a job for an electrician. Ringing the right number first saves time when it matters.
999
Fire, smoke or injury
Anyone hurt, anything alight, or a danger you cannot get away from. The emergency services come first, every time.
105
Power cut in your street
The free national power cut line puts you through to your local network operator. Use it when neighbouring properties are off as well, or to report damaged power lines.
0800 111 999
Smell of gas
The National Gas Emergency Service is free to call at any hour. Leave electrical switches alone while you can smell gas.
Fault inside your property
Tripping circuits, dead sockets, burning smells, damaged fittings and anything else on your side of the meter. Answered 24 hours a day.
Before you call
Details Worth Having Ready When You Ring
You do not need every answer to make the call, but each of these helps us judge the urgency and arrive prepared.
Where the Property Is
The full postcode, the type of property and how to get in: entry codes, parking, a concierge or a key holder.
What Happened and When
What stopped working, anything you saw, heard or smelt, and whether it followed a leak, building work or a new appliance.
What the Consumer Unit Shows
Which switches are down, whether they will reset and what has already been turned off. A photo helps if it is safe to take one.
What Depends on the Power
Mention medical equipment, vulnerable occupants, freezers, servers, alarms or anything else that cannot be left without a supply.
Ready to call? The emergency line is answered 24 hours a day. Call 020 8129 3833.
The call-out
From Your Call to a Safe Installation
Every emergency visit follows the same order, so safety always comes before repair.
You Call, We Listen
We take the postcode and the symptoms, talk you through anything that needs doing straight away and tell you whether an electrician can attend and roughly when.
Isolate and Investigate
On site, the electrician isolates the affected circuit and tests it, tracing the cause instead of guessing at it.
Make It Safe
The dangerous part is repaired or disconnected so that as much of the property as possible can go back into use.
Explain and Record
You are told what was found, what has been done and whether any further work is recommended.
When a full repair needs a second visit Some repairs depend on a part that has to be ordered, or turn out to be a larger job. The installation is left safe and the next step is agreed before the electrician leaves.
Property types
Urgent Cover for Every Kind of Property
The fault may be the same, but who needs to know and what has to keep running differs from one building to the next.
Your Own Home
Houses, flats and maisonettes, including converted buildings where supplies and meters are shared.
Rented Homes
Calls from landlords, letting agents and tenants. We can liaise with the owner or agent and explain what was found.
Shops, Offices and Units
Trading premises where a loss of power stops business: tills, refrigeration, lighting, IT and signage.
Blocks and Shared Areas
Stairwell and corridor lighting, landlord supplies, plant rooms and door entry in managed buildings.
Call-out costs
What Decides the Cost of a Call-Out
No two emergencies are alike, which is why there is no single price on this page. These are the things that shape the figure.
When You Call
Evening, overnight, weekend and bank holiday visits are normally charged differently from a weekday daytime call.
Where You Are
Travel, parking and how easily the electrician can reach the equipment all affect the time involved.
How Long the Fault Takes to Find
A failed socket is quick to identify. An intermittent fault hidden somewhere along a circuit takes longer to trace.
Parts and Further Work
Replacement parts, and anything beyond making the installation safe, are separate from the call-out itself.
Ask for the rate when you ring Check what the visit will be charged at before an electrician sets off, and ask for any larger repair to be priced before it goes ahead.
Common questions
Quick Answers About Emergency Call-Outs
For anything not covered here, call the 24-hour line with your postcode and a description of the fault.
01Are emergency call-outs available at night?
Yes. The emergency line operates 24 hours a day. Call with the property postcode and details of the fault so availability can be confirmed.
02How quickly can an electrician reach me?
That depends on where you are and how many call-outs are already under way. You will be given a realistic estimate when you call, not a blanket promise.
03Something electrical smells of burning. What now?
Stay away from it and stop using that circuit. If the main switch is within safe reach, turn the power off, then ring the emergency line. Where there is smoke, flame or anyone at risk, call 999 first.
04Can you help when the fuse box keeps tripping?
Yes. Repeated tripping can indicate a fault in an appliance, circuit or protective device. Avoid repeatedly resetting it and arrange professional fault finding.
05The whole street has lost power. Should I call you?
No. When neighbouring properties are off as well, the fault is on the network. Call 105, the free national power cut line, to report it and get updates.
06Will the fault be fixed on the first visit?
Often it is. Where a part has to be ordered or the job turns out to be larger, the installation is made safe first and the rest of the work is arranged separately.
07Do you attend business premises as well as homes?
Yes. Emergency call-outs cover homes, rental properties and commercial or industrial premises.
08What information should I provide?
Share the full postcode, property type, what stopped working, any sounds or smells, and when the problem started.