Urgent electrics
Emergency electrician in London for power loss and unsafe electrics
Lost power, a fuse box that keeps tripping, or a socket that smells of burning. Call us and we tell you the earliest time an electrician can be with you, and how to stay safe until then.
- Mon to Sat 8am to 10pm, Sun 8am to 6pm
- Work tested and certified
- All London boroughs
What we attend
Electrical emergencies we deal with
- Total or partial loss of power when the neighbours still have theirs
- A fuse box or RCD that trips and will not reset
- Burning smells, scorch marks or buzzing from sockets, switches or the consumer unit
- Sparking or hot sockets and light fittings
- Water in the electrics after a leak or flood
- Exposed or damaged cables
- Lights flickering or dimming across the property
- Failed electric showers, immersion heaters and cooker circuits
First steps
What to do before the electrician arrives
Check whether it is a power cut
If the neighbours have lost power too, it is a network fault, not a fault in your home. Call 105, the free national power cut line. In London the network is run by UK Power Networks.
Find the circuit that trips
Switch everything off at the consumer unit, reset the main switch, then switch the circuits back on one at a time. The one that trips the board is the faulty circuit. Leave it off.
Unplug the appliances
A tripping RCD is often caused by one faulty appliance: a kettle, a washing machine, an oven element or an outdoor light. Unplug everything on the circuit and plug items back in one by one.
Leave anything hot, wet or burnt alone
If a socket is scorched, a cable is damaged or water has reached the electrics, switch off at the main switch and do not touch it. If there is smoke or fire, get out and call 999.
Cost
How an emergency electrical visit is charged
Emergency visits are charged at our published electrical rates: a first-hour rate, then a lower rate for each extra half hour, with the evening and weekend rates shown in the table below. We confirm the rate on the phone before the electrician sets off.
The first job is to make the installation safe and get power back to as much of the property as possible. If the lasting repair needs more work, for example a new consumer unit or a section of rewiring, you get a price for that before anything else is done.
Fault finding
The causes we find most often
A faulty appliance or fitting
Heating elements, outdoor lights and damp extractor fans leak current to earth and trip the RCD. Often the cure is the repair or replacement of one item.
Damaged or ageing cables
Cables caught by a nail or screw, chewed by rodents or perished with age cause intermittent trips and burning smells. Electrical fault finding traces the damaged section.
An overloaded or outdated fuse box
Old boards with rewirable fuses and no RCD protection struggle with modern loads. Upgrading the board is often the lasting fix.
Coverage
Emergency electricians across London
We attend electrical emergencies in all 32 London boroughs and the City of London. See the areas we cover for local pages. For planned work, go to electrical services, sockets and switches or lighting faults.
Published rates
Electrical hourly rates in London
You pay a first-hour rate, then a lower rate for each extra half hour. The rate depends on the day and time of the visit.
| Electrical | Mon–Fri 8am–6pm | Mon–Fri 6pm–10pm | Saturday 8am–6pm | Sunday 8am–6pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First hour | £94.80Business: £79 + VAT | £102Business: £85 + VAT | £102Business: £85 + VAT | £111.60Business: £93 + VAT |
| Each extra half hour | £54Business: £45 + VAT | £56.40Business: £47 + VAT | £56.40Business: £47 + VAT | £56.40Business: £47 + VAT |
| Daily rate | £588Business: £490 + VAT | — | — | — |
Prices include VAT at 20%. Offices and companies: the business rate is shown + VAT. Rates apply to jobs inside the M25. Minimum charges apply. Materials are charged in addition to labour. See the full rate card.
Extra If we need to go and buy materials, travel and shopping time is charged at £57.60 per hour inc VAT (business: £48 + VAT). The materials themselves are added at cost.
Questions
Emergency electrician London: your questions
How quickly can an emergency electrician get to me?
That depends on your part of London and the jobs already booked that day. We give you a realistic arrival time when you call, so you can decide before anything is booked.
Are you a 24-hour electrician?
No. We attend jobs from 8am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 6pm on Sunday. Overnight, switch off the affected circuit, or the main switch if you are unsure, and call us when we open.
How much does an emergency electrician cost in London?
Our electrical rate starts at £94.80 inc VAT (business: £79 + VAT) for the first hour on a weekday daytime, then a lower rate for each extra half hour. Evening, Saturday and Sunday rates are in the table on this page. Materials are extra.
Why does my fuse box keep tripping?
An RCD or breaker trips when it detects a fault: a faulty appliance, damp in a fitting, a damaged cable or an overloaded circuit. If it trips again with every appliance unplugged, the fault is in the wiring and needs an electrician.
Is a burning smell from a socket dangerous?
Yes. Switch the circuit off at the consumer unit and do not use the socket. A burning smell means something is overheating: a loose connection, an overloaded circuit or a damaged cable. Have it checked before the circuit is switched back on.
Will I get a certificate for the work?
Yes. Electrical work is tested on completion and you receive the certificate or record that applies to the work carried out, in line with BS 7671.
Related services
More from Plumbery
Why Plumbery
Qualified, insured and upfront about price
Every engineer we send is registered or qualified for the trade they work in, and you can check the details before anyone starts.
- Fully insuredEvery job is covered by our insurance.
- Rates published in advanceOur hourly rates are on the pricing page. Nothing starts until you agree the rate.
- Paperwork includedGas safety certificates and electrical records are provided on completion.
- Registered companyPlumbery Ltd, company no. 11677583, registered in England and Wales.
