When it cannot wait until Monday.

Half the property is out

Almost always a protective device that has operated, which means something on that circuit asked it to. A failed appliance, water in an outdoor point, a nail through a cable from a picture hook, a light fitting that has cooked itself. We isolate the circuit, split it, and find which section is causing it rather than reset it and hope.

If the board is an older one with rewirable fuses, there is often no clean way to test it in place. That is when the conversation turns into a switchboard upgrade, and we will tell you that on the night rather than after three call-outs.

The safety switch that will not stay in

An RCD trips on current leaking to earth. In inner north housing the usual sources are a bathroom or laundry fitting, an outdoor circuit after rain, an old fridge or washing machine, or degraded insulation on original cabling. If a whole group of circuits sits behind one RCD, the fault could be anywhere in that group, which is exactly why modern boards split the protection.

Something smells hot

Treat this as urgent. A hot or burning smell at a socket, a switch, a light fitting or the board is a connection carrying current it cannot handle. Turn the circuit off at the switchboard if you can do that safely, and ring. If you can see smoke or flame, ring 000 first.

Storm damage

Melbourne storms take out service lines, fill meter boxes and get water into outdoor lighting. Anything from the point of attachment inwards is the property owner's to sort out. We make it safe, isolate what has to be isolated, and repair what can be repaired that night, then come back for the rest in daylight if the work needs it.

Commercial and shop faults

For a business the clock is money, so the order changes. Get trading again first, do it compliantly, and then work out what the permanent fix is. Common calls are a three-phase supply issue, a failed contactor, lighting circuits down in a venue, or a cool room that has dropped out overnight.

Being local is the actual advantage

We are in Coburg. For emergency work in the inner north that is the whole difference between a detour and a booking for tomorrow. Coburg, Brunswick, Preston, Pascoe Vale, Fitzroy North, Northcote and Thornbury are all close enough that after-hours work here is realistic rather than theoretical.

We take calls around the clock. What we will not do is promise a fixed arrival time on a website, because it depends on where the van is and what else has come in. Ring and we will tell you honestly what the wait looks like.

What counts as an electrical emergency?

Anything that is unsafe or that stops a property working. No power, a burning smell, sparking, exposed conductors, water into electrical fittings, or a business that cannot open. If you are not sure, ring and describe it. We would rather talk you out of a call-out than have you sit on something serious.

Are you available after hours?

We take emergency calls around the clock. What we will not do is publish an arrival time, because it depends on where the van is and what else has come in. Ring and you will get a straight answer on the wait.

What does an emergency call-out cost?

You get the cost of attending and diagnosing before we come out, and the cost of the repair once we know what the fault is. After-hours work costs more than a booked daytime job, and we will tell you that on the phone rather than on the invoice.

Should I keep resetting the breaker?

No. If a breaker or safety switch trips once, resetting it is reasonable. If it trips again, something on that circuit is faulty and repeatedly resetting it is how a fault becomes a fire. Leave it off and ring.

Is the power outage my problem or the network's?

If the whole street is out, it is a network problem and your distributor is the one to contact. If it is only your property, it is on your side of the meter. If you cannot tell, we can work it out with you on the phone in a couple of minutes.

Do you cover rental properties?

Yes, and we deal with the tenant directly rather than making the agent relay everything. Ongoing rental work is covered on our rental electrical safety checks page.

Which suburbs do you cover for emergencies?

Coburg, Brunswick, Preston, Pascoe Vale, Fitzroy North, Northcote, Thornbury and the suburbs around them get the quickest turnaround because that is where we are. We do go further, so ring and ask.

Do I get a certificate for the work?

Where the work requires one, yes. A certificate of electrical safety records electrical work carried out by a registered electrical contractor or licensed electrician. We are REC 35681.