Need an electrician urgently? Call us to check availability
We are a small, local team rather than a national call centre, so the quickest way to get help is to pick up the phone. Tell us what has happened and what you can see, and we will give you a straight answer about when we can attend.
In many cases we can also help you make the situation safe over the phone before we arrive — for example identifying which circuit is affected so the rest of the house can stay on.
Electrical problems we are called out to
Most urgent calls fall into a handful of categories. If your situation is on this list, it is worth ringing rather than waiting to see if it settles down.
- Complete loss of power to the property
- Partial loss of electricity — some rooms, sockets or lights dead
- An RCD or breaker that trips repeatedly and will not stay on
- Consumer unit problems, including scorch marks or buzzing
- A burning smell from a socket, switch, light fitting or appliance
- Sparking or arcing when a plug is inserted or a switch is used
- Cracked, loose or heat-damaged sockets and switches
- Lights failing across a circuit or flickering badly
- Suspected wiring faults after water ingress, DIY work or storm damage
What happens when we attend
The first job is to make the installation safe. That usually means isolating the affected circuit so the rest of the property can be used normally while we work.
We then test to find the actual cause rather than guessing. Depending on what we find we will either repair it there and then, or explain clearly what is needed, what it will cost and when we can do it. You will not be pushed into a bigger job than the fault requires.
Being honest about response times
We do not publish a guaranteed arrival time, because we would rather give you an accurate answer on the phone than a promise we cannot keep. Availability depends on where our engineers are on the day.
If we genuinely cannot get to you quickly enough for the situation you are describing, we will say so, and where it is a safety issue we will tell you who to contact instead — for example your network operator if the fault is on the incoming supply.
After the emergency: preventing a repeat
A recurring fault is usually a symptom of something else — ageing cable, moisture in an outdoor circuit, an overloaded circuit or an older consumer unit with limited protection.
Once the immediate problem is resolved we can carry out proper fault finding, or talk you through a consumer unit replacement if the existing board is past its useful life.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I do if I smell burning from a socket?
- Stop using the socket immediately and unplug anything connected to it if you can do so safely. If the socket is hot, discoloured or smoking, switch off that circuit at the consumer unit and call an electrician. If there is smoke or fire, leave the area and call 999.
- Why does my RCD keep tripping?
- An RCD trips when it detects current leaking to earth. Common causes are a faulty appliance, moisture in an outdoor socket or light, or a damaged cable. Switching appliances off one at a time can sometimes identify the culprit, but if the RCD will not reset the circuit needs testing properly.
- Do you work 24 hours a day?
- We are a local team rather than a round-the-clock call centre. Ring us and we will tell you honestly what our availability looks like for the day.
- Only half my house has power — is that dangerous?
- Partial power loss usually means one circuit or one side of the consumer unit has tripped or failed. It is not always dangerous, but it does mean something has gone wrong, so it should be tested rather than repeatedly reset.
Where we work
We cover homes across east Birmingham and the surrounding towns. See the areas we cover, including Castle Bromwich, Shard End, Hodge Hill, Kitts Green, Stechford and Chelmsley Wood.