Call 000 for fire, a serious electric shock, fallen powerlines or immediate danger. Contact the electricity distributor for a confirmed street or network outage. Call a licensed electrician when the urgent fault appears to be inside the property, such as sparking, burning smells, repeated tripping, hot fittings or partial power loss. When the source is unclear and people may be at risk, keep clear and treat it as an emergency.
Call 000 when life, fire or fallen powerlines are involved
Smoke, flames, an active electrical fire, a serious electric shock or an immediate threat to life requires emergency services. Move people away, call 000 and follow the operator’s directions. Do not touch a person who may still be in contact with electricity, and do not use water on energised electrical equipment.
Fallen powerlines, damaged poles and arcing network equipment should also be treated as live and dangerous. Stay well clear, warn others and call 000. An electrician can assess property wiring after the immediate danger is controlled; an electrician is not a substitute for Fire and Rescue NSW, ambulance or the electricity distributor.
Call an electrician urgently for dangerous signs inside the property
Sparking, scorch marks, melting plastic, unusual heat, crackling, buzzing or a persistent burning smell can accompany a damaged fitting, loose connection, equipment fault or another unsafe condition. Stop using the affected item or area and keep other people away.
Switch off an affected appliance or circuit only when it can be done without approaching smoke, water, exposed conductors or a hot switchboard. Do not remove covers, touch damaged equipment or keep resetting a protective device. Call 000 instead if the condition is escalating or there is immediate danger.
Use the source of the problem to choose who to call
A power problem may come from emergency conditions, the electricity network or the property installation. The safest contact depends on what you can observe without investigating live equipment. If there is immediate danger, call 000 even when the source is uncertain.
The NSW power outage guide recommends checking whether neighbours or streetlights are also affected and contacting the electricity distributor for outage information. When the issue appears confined to one property, room or circuit, a licensed electrician can investigate the installation.
| What you observe | Who to contact first | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| Fire, smoke, serious shock or immediate threat to life | 000 | Move away from danger, get outside if needed and follow emergency-services directions. |
| Fallen powerline, damaged pole or arcing street equipment | 000 and the electricity distributor | Stay well clear, warn others and treat every wire as live. |
| Neighbouring properties or streetlights also have no power | Electricity distributor | Check the distributor outage channel and keep clear of damaged network equipment. |
| Only part of the property has power, with no wider outage | Licensed electrician | Stop using affected circuits and report exactly which rooms or equipment lost power. |
| Sparking, heat, burning smell or repeated tripping inside the property | Licensed electrician, or 000 if danger is immediate | Keep people away and isolate only if it is safe to reach the control without approaching the hazard. |
| One portable appliance appears to trigger the problem | Appliance service or licensed electrician, depending on the fault | Leave the item unplugged; do not test it on another circuit. |
Repeated tripping is a warning, not an inconvenience
A safety switch or circuit breaker operates because it detects the condition it is designed to respond to. One trip may be associated with a portable appliance, but a device that will not reset, trips again or repeatedly drops power needs diagnosis rather than repeated attempts to restore supply.
If there are no danger signs, note the device label and what was operating. Follow the limited one-reset process in the guide to a safety switch that keeps tripping. Leave the circuit off and call an electrician if the trip returns.
Storm, flood and water damage change the risk
Do not approach fallen wires or move branches, fences, vehicles or other objects touching electrical infrastructure. After flooding or storm damage, do not energise wet or damaged electrical equipment simply because network power has returned.
Water entering a switchboard, outlet, appliance or ceiling area requires assessment before affected equipment is used. Keep clear and describe the water source when calling. Do not enter standing water to reach a switch, appliance or switchboard.
Take only the immediate actions that are clearly safe
In an electrical emergency, distance is often safer than investigation. Do not delay a call to take photos, identify a circuit or search for the source of a smell. The following steps are limited to actions that do not require approaching the hazard.
Urgent availability varies. Call 0449 719 947 to check whether Top Quality Electrics can attend a fault inside the property. Use emergency services or the electricity distributor when they are the appropriate first contact.
- Move people away. Keep children, pets, occupants and bystanders out of the affected area.
- Call the right emergency contact. Use 000 for fire, serious shock, fallen powerlines or immediate danger.
- Do not touch or test the hazard. Avoid damaged equipment, exposed wiring, water and hot switchboards.
- Isolate only when clearly safe. Switch off an appliance or labelled circuit only when the control is accessible without approaching danger.
- Wait in a safe location. Keep access clear for emergency services, the distributor or the electrician.
Give the responder useful information without taking risks
Provide the full address, what you can see, hear or smell, when the problem began and whether smoke, water, storm damage or an electric shock is involved. Say whether the entire property, one area or neighbouring properties have lost power.
Photos may help only when they can be taken from a safe distance after the urgent call has been made. Also mention gate codes, apartment access, electrical-room keys and the location of anyone waiting on site. Never approach exposed conductors or active fire to collect more information.
Practical checklist
- Call 000 for fire, serious shock, fallen powerlines or immediate danger
- Keep people away from damaged equipment and the affected area
- Check whether neighbours or streetlights are also without power
- Contact the distributor for a network outage
- Call a licensed electrician for urgent faults inside the property
- Do not remove covers, enter water or repeatedly reset a protective device
Official sources
Regulatory and safety information was checked against these sources on 20 August 2026:
Related electrical services
If you need help in Bankstown or another listed service area, call 0449 719 947 or request a quote. Current availability and suitability depend on the job and location.