Out of hours electrician in London

Some faults are dangerous and need dealing with now: a burning smell, smoke, sparking, a hot socket or switch, water reaching electrics, exposed live wires, or anyone getting a shock. No power at all in the middle of winter, or with someone vulnerable at home, is urgent too.

Others can be made safe and left. If one circuit keeps tripping and the rest of the house works, you can usually leave that circuit off until morning. A single dead socket, a broken light or a doorbell can wait. If you are not sure, the quick questions on this page will help.

Look outside. If neighbours and street lights are off, call 105 and the network operator will deal with it. In Ealing and Hounslow 105 puts you through to SSEN rather than UK Power Networks. The UK Power Networks power cut map shows known cuts by postcode.

If only your home is off, check the consumer unit for a switch that has dropped. Unplug things on that circuit and reset it once. If it holds, plug things back one at a time. If it trips again straight away, leave it off. Our advice on why electrics keep tripping goes into more detail.

Night calls in London often come from flats. 57% of London homes are flats or maisonettes, according to the Valuation Office Agency. Meter cupboards may be locked, the landlord supply runs the hall lights and door entry, and a leak from the flat above can come through a light fitting at any hour.

If you can, find out before an emergency where your meter is and who holds the key. If the communal lights are off, contact the managing agent's out of hours line. If only your flat is off, an electrician can work on everything from your meter onwards.

Once the faulty circuit is off, most homes can carry on for a night or a weekend. A few things help.

• Use the circuits that still work, but do not run extension leads from them through doorways or windows where they can be trapped or get wet.
• Keep the fridge and freezer shut as much as possible.
• If the lighting circuit is off, use torches or battery lamps rather than candles.
• If the heating controls are on the faulty circuit, ask the electrician whether they can be moved to a working circuit for now.

If anyone at home relies on powered medical equipment, tell us when you first get in touch and tell the network operator too. UK Power Networks runs a Priority Services Register for households that need extra help in a power cut. It is free. Our post on the Priority Services Register in London explains who can join.

Bank holidays, Christmas and New Year bring their own calls, mostly overloaded extension leads and fairy lights. Our advice on needing an electrician on a bank holiday covers what you can safely do yourself.