Need an emergency electrician now?

Pick "I need someone now" and it goes straight to Marcus's phone, or call 0468 008 822. Not urgent? Choose a quote or a question.

Is it an electrical emergency?

Call me now, any hour, if you have:

• A burning smell from a power point, light, switch or the switchboard.
• Sparks, crackling or buzzing from a power point or switch.
• Water in a light fitting, a ceiling, a power point or the switchboard.
• No power to the house, and it is not a street outage.
• A safety switch that won't reset, or keeps tripping.
• A breaker or switch that is hot, brown or melted.
• Storm damage to wiring, a meter box or an outdoor power point.

It can usually wait for a booked visit if one light or one power point has stopped and nothing smells, sparks or trips. For that, see fault finding.

What to do right now, while you wait

• Smoke, flames or a shock: get everyone out and call 000.
• Burning smell or sparks: if the switchboard is dry and safe to reach, turn off the main switch.
• Water near the electrics: do not touch the switchboard if it is wet or you are standing in water. Keep away from wet ceilings with lights in them.
• Solar: the main switch does not turn off the solar side. Do not open or work on the board.
• A fallen power line: stay well clear and call SA Power Networks on 13 13 66, or 000 if it is dangerous.
• Then call 0468 008 822 and tell me what you can see, smell or hear, and your suburb.

No power at your place?

If your place has no power and the switchboard will not reset, that is an electrician emergency. In Ingle Farm (#384) a house had been without power since the Friday. The cable from the street connection to the meter had failed. I replaced 20 metres of mains cable and fitted a new service connection kit, then tested, certified and reconnected the supply.

Safety switch keeps tripping or won't reset?

A safety switch (also called an RCD) trips when power leaks to earth. It is doing its job. The fault is somewhere on the circuits behind it. Try this first:

1. Unplug everything on the dead power points.
2. Turn off the circuit breakers under that safety switch.
3. Push the safety switch back on.
4. Turn the breakers back on one at a time. If one trips it again, that circuit has the fault. Leave it off.

If it trips again with everything unplugged and the breakers off, the fault is in the wiring or the switch. Call me. Do not keep forcing it back on.

What I have found on real call-outs:

• Wattle Park (#881). A 6:49am call: no power and the safety switch would not reset. I tested seven power points and junction boxes and found wiring damage under the floor. The damage was isolated and the safety switch replaced.
• Kensington Gardens (#700). The safety switch would not go on. Three bedrooms, the hall and the shed were dead. The cause was an old safety switch in the shed fed from a safety switch in the house: two in a row. The shed board was later replaced (#762).
• Walkerville (#349). The power was lost because the safety switches themselves had failed. Four were replaced.

If your board has an RCBO on every circuit, a fault only drops the circuit it is on. See switchboard upgrades and why power keeps tripping.

No power in one room or half the house

Older boards have one safety switch covering many circuits. So one fault can drop the power points in several rooms at once while the lights stay on. Lights and power points are on different circuits.

Sometimes nothing trips at all. In Hillcrest (#795) a power point crackled, then it and the points in nearby rooms went dead. No breaker had tripped. I tested five power points and traced the circuit through the roof. It was a loose neutral connection in the garage. A loose connection does not trip a breaker. It heats up instead. That is why crackling with dead power points needs looking at quickly.

More on this: no power in half your house.

Burning smell or a sparking power point

A burning smell from electrics is never one to sleep on. Turn off the main switch if it is safe, and call. These are real jobs:

• Hillbank (#620), about 10pm. A breaker in the switchboard had melted and the copper under it was charred. The house has solar, so the board stayed live from the solar side until that was isolated too. The burnt cable was cut back to clean copper, and three RCBOs replaced the burnt breaker and the old safety switch.
• Henley Beach (#921), late at night. A burnt power point with damaged cable behind it. The power point was replaced, the damaged wire re-terminated, and the circuit tested.
• Woodville West (#948). The bathroom heat, fan and light controls were sparking. It was a faulty switch mechanism. A new four-gang switch plate went in and was tested.

More on this: electrical burning smell, what to do now.

Water in the switchboard, leaks and storm damage

Water and power together is an emergency. If the switchboard is wet, stay away from it and call. If water is coming through a ceiling with lights in it, keep clear of that area.

• Adelaide CBD (#636). Water from a bathroom ran through three levels and cut the power. I tested every circuit on all three levels, not just the bathroom. Only the wet downlights, switches and one smoke alarm were disconnected. Everything that passed testing was turned back on, so the household kept power and could stay in the home.
• A city hotel (#454), on a Saturday. Water had got into the lobby light fittings. Four circuits with no safety switch got RCBOs. One light stayed disconnected until the ceiling dried out.
• Prospect (#343), after rain. The lighting circuit kept tripping. Water had got into a light fitting, helped by a bird nest. The fitting came out, the cable was made safe, and the lighting circuit got its own RCBO.
• Athelstone (#311), in heavy rain. The power kept tripping and the safety switch was overloaded. RCBOs went in across the circuits.

Why does my power trip at night?

Night trips usually come from something that switches on by itself, or from damp. The usual suspects:

• Hot water. If it heats overnight on a timer, a failing element can trip the power when it kicks in. In the Adelaide CBD (#420) it was a faulty element and thermostat.
• Outdoor lights. In Lightsview (#363) the fault showed up about ten minutes after the outside lights were turned on.
• Damp outdoor power points and fittings. Dew and rain get into old or damaged weatherproof covers.
• Fridges and freezers. An appliance fault can trip the power at any hour.

Write down the time it trips and what was running. It makes the fault quicker to find.

What happens on a 24/7 emergency call-out

• You call 0468 008 822. Tell me what is happening and your suburb. By the time we hang up I usually know where to look first. Ask for the call-out charge on the phone and you will have it before anyone heads out.
• I arrive with a light and the test gear. For a loss of power the switchboard comes first: which circuit has dropped, and whether the board itself is the problem.
• Then inside, testing with a Fluke 1674 FC. That tells me what type of fault it is before anything gets pulled apart.
• Most night faults are minor. A plugged-in appliance, a wet outdoor power point, worn switchgear in the board. Those are fixed or isolated on the spot. In Glengowrie (#607), a 7am call with no power, three RCBOs went in that morning.
• If the fault is in the wiring itself, I show you the circuit that is affected and give you a price for splitting it up and tracing it, point by point, before I start. Most of the time that part can wait for standard hours.
• The faulty part can often be left safely disconnected so the rest of the house keeps power, with the repair the next day. If the parts are in the van, it is done there and then. In Prospect (#316) a temporary breaker kept the house going and the board upgrade was quoted in writing (#317).
• Nothing is done without you knowing the cost first. No surprises at the end.
• Afterwards, any repair gets a Certificate of Compliance lodged, with a copy to you. For anything major, and always for a rental or a property where the owner is not home, you also get a written report.

Recent emergency call-outs across Adelaide

Real jobs from this year. Suburb and job number only.

Wattle Park #881 · September 2026

A 6:49am call. No power, and the safety switch would not reset. Seven power points and junction boxes were tested. Wiring damage under the floor was found and isolated, and the safety switch was replaced.

Henley Beach #921 · September 2026

An after-hours call to a granny flat. A burnt power point with damaged cable. The power point was replaced, the damaged wire re-terminated and the circuit tested.

Hillbank #620 · August 2026

A 10pm call. A melted breaker with charred copper underneath, on a board with solar. Both supplies were isolated, the burnt cable cut back, and three RCBOs fitted.

Adelaide CBD #636 · August 2026

A bathroom leak through three levels cut the power. Every circuit was tested. Only the wet points were disconnected, and the rest of the home stayed on.

Glengowrie #607 · August 2026

No power and the burglar alarm going off. Attended at 7am. Three RCBOs were fitted to the power circuits. The rest of the board was upgraded on a return visit (#612).

Woodville West #948 · October 2026

Sparking from the bathroom heat, fan and light controls. Traced to a faulty switch mechanism. A new four-gang switch plate was fitted and tested.

Ingle Farm #384 · June 2026

No power since the Friday. The mains cable to the meter had failed. A new 20-metre mains cable and service connection kit went in, and the supply was tested, certified and reconnected.

St Marys #225 · April 2026

A midnight call. An air-con unit had blown apart and come off the side of a building. The electrical supply to it was made safe.

Looking for an emergency electrician near me?

I'm based in Walkerville, in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, and I take emergency call-outs across metro Adelaide. The jobs above run from Hillbank in the north to St Marys in the south, and out to Henley Beach in the west. A Sunday call in Crafers West was up in the hills.

Scheduled work is Monday to Friday. Emergencies are any hour, any day.

Watch an emergency call-out

Short clips filmed on real jobs.

More real jobs on TikTok @adelaideelectrician

What emergency customers said

★★★★★

Marcus is a life saver! Had no power to the house on a Saturday morning and thankfully found his business. He was here within an hour, diagnosed the issue and had everything back up and running in no time

Luke, Walkerville Google review · July 2026

★★★★★

I called Amped Up on a morning Sunday. Our power was out. We required a specialised part to rectify the problem and this was not a standard part. Marcus from Amped Up called a friend with an electrical wholesale business and he agreed to open the store for him on the Sunday so that he could get the part for us.

Stuart, Crafers West Google review · March 2026

★★★★★

I called Marcus because I experienced electrical trips multiple times at night. [...] The diagnosis and fix went smoothly and I haven't experienced any trips since then.

Madelene, Glynde Google review · September 2026

★★★★★

Emergency job in Kensington Gardens, needed an electrician on site immediately. Marcus turned up fast, did the work properly, fair price, no BS.

Andrea, Kensington Gardens Google review · June 2026

Read all 99 Google reviews

After hours electrician in Adelaide: what it costs

Every emergency call-out has a call-out charge, plus time to find the fault. After-hours rates are higher than a booked weekday visit. That is the honest trade-off for an electrician at 2am.

• Ask for the call-out charge when you ring and you will have it before anyone heads out.
• Any repair beyond finding the fault is priced and agreed with you before I do it.
• Bigger work, like a switchboard upgrade, gets a written quote. You do not have to decide at midnight.

If it is not urgent, a booked visit costs less. Text photos through the quote page for a written quote.

Warranty on emergency repairs

• Lifetime workmanship warranty. For as long as you own the property and the installation is maintained.
• Manufacturer warranty on the parts fitted.
• Fully insured.

The full terms are on the warranty page.

Emergency electrician questions

Are you really a 24/7 electrician?

Yes. Emergency call-outs are 24/7, nights and weekends included. This year that has meant a midnight call in St Marys (#225), 10pm in Hillbank (#620), 6:49am in Wattle Park (#881) and a Saturday in the city (#454). Booked, non-urgent work is Monday to Friday.

How fast can you get here?

It depends where you are, the time, and whether I am already on a job. I would rather tell you straight on the phone than promise a time on a website.

Do you charge extra after hours?

Yes. There is a call-out charge on every emergency, and after-hours rates are higher. Ask for the call-out charge when you ring and you will have it before anyone heads out.

Should I turn off the main switch?

If you smell burning or see sparks, yes, as long as the switchboard is dry and safe to reach. If the board is wet, leave it alone. If there is smoke or fire, get out and call 000 first. If you have solar, the main switch does not turn the solar side off.

Do I call SA Power Networks or an electrician?

If the whole street is out, it is SA Power Networks. If it is only your place, check your switchboard. If the main switch or a safety switch is down and won't stay on, or nothing is tripped but you still have no power, call an electrician.

Why won't my safety switch reset?

Something on the circuits behind it is leaking power to earth, or the safety switch itself has failed. Unplug everything, turn the breakers off, reset the safety switch, then turn the breakers on one at a time. If it still won't hold with everything off, the fault is in the wiring or the switch, and it needs an electrician.

What if it can't be fixed tonight?

I make it safe first. Usually that means isolating the faulty circuit so the rest of the house keeps power. The full repair is then priced and agreed with you, as in Prospect (#316), where a temporary breaker kept the house going until the board was upgraded.

Related help

• Fault finding, when it is not urgent but something keeps tripping
• Switchboard upgrades, an RCBO on every circuit
• Power keeps tripping?
• No power in half your house?
• Electrical burning smell? What to do now
• Electrical emergencies: what to do while you wait