Emergency Electrician Wythenshawe: What Actually Counts as an Emergency

We get a lot of calls that start with 'I don't know if this counts as an emergency.' Fair question, and honestly the answer isn't always obvious even to us until we've heard what's going on. But there are some things that are always worth calling straight away for, and a few that genuinely can wait.

Call immediately, don't wait

Burning smells from a socket or the consumer unit. Sparking when you plug something in. Any exposed or damaged live wiring, especially if there are kids or pets around. A shock off an appliance or a switch, even a mild one. Complete power loss with no obvious cause, particularly if it's affecting the whole street differently to you, which usually points to something on your own supply rather than the network. Water anywhere near electrics, whether that's a leak from upstairs or flooding.

None of those are things to Google and wait on. If in doubt, call — we'd rather talk you through it on the phone for free and tell you it's fine than have you sit on something that isn't.

Can usually wait until normal hours

A single socket that's stopped working when everything else is fine. A light that's flickering but not sparking. A tripped RCD that resets and stays reset. These are still worth booking in, but they're not 2am territory, and honestly the call-out rate for genuine emergencies means you'll pay less booking it in during the day if it's not urgent.

What actually happens when you call

We talk through it on the phone first. Sometimes that alone sorts it, particularly with tripped RCDs or a specific appliance causing the problem. If an engineer is needed, we guarantee arrival within an hour anywhere across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, 24 hours a day including weekends and bank holidays. Being based in Wythenshawe means jobs across south Manchester, Stockport and Trafford are usually quicker than that in practice.

Fault-finding happens on arrival, and we identify the problem within the first hour on every single call-out we've ever done. If we've got the parts, we fix it there and then. If not, we make the property safe and come back first thing with what's needed. You're never left with a live hazard overnight.