# Emergency Electrician in Pennsylvania | What to Do First > Urgent electrical problem in Pennsylvania? When to call 911 or Met-Ed/PPL first, when you need an emergency electrician, what it costs, and what can wait. Call. URL: https://pennsylvaniaelectricians.us/emergency-electrician/ Pennsylvania Electricians is an independent contractor-referral service that connects Pennsylvania homeowners, landlords, and property managers with participating independent electricians. This page covers **emergency electrician** calls: which problems are urgent, which ones need 911 or the utility before an electrician, and what to expect. Availability after hours depends on participating electricians in your area; we can't promise a response time. ## Call 911 or the utility first when An electrician fixes the problem. These situations need emergency services or the utility to make things safe first: - **Smoke, flame, or sparking** from an outlet, switch, fixture, appliance, or the panel: get everyone out and call 911. - **A burning smell you can't trace**, especially one that gets stronger: leave and call 911. - **A downed or sagging power line**, or a damaged meter or service mast: stay well away and call the utility. In Met-Ed territory (York, Reading, Hanover) that's 1-888-544-4877; in PPL territory (Lancaster, Harrisburg, Allentown) it's 1-800-342-5775. - **Water near the panel, outlets, or cords** after a flood or leak: don't walk into a flooded basement. Ask the utility to disconnect power. - **Someone has been shocked** and is hurt: call 911. Don't touch them if they may still be in contact with the source. ## When you need an electrician urgently After everyone is safe, these problems justify an urgent call rather than a scheduled visit: - The panel or a breaker is **hot, buzzing, or crackling** - An outlet or switch is **scorched, melted, or smells hot** - **Part of the house has no power** and nothing has tripped, while the neighbors have power - Lights **brighten and dim** across the house, which can mean a loose neutral connection - A breaker **trips immediately** every time you reset it - No power to heat, a sump pump, or medical equipment in winter or during a storm ## What can usually wait for a regular appointment Not everything electrical is an emergency, and calling after hours costs more. These can usually wait if nothing is hot, smoking, or sparking: a single dead outlet, one flickering fixture, a breaker that tripped once and has stayed on since reset, a light switch that's stopped working, or planning work like a [panel upgrade](https://pennsylvaniaelectricians.us/electrical-panel-upgrade/). Stop using the affected outlet or circuit in the meantime. ## Partial outages: yours or the utility's? If half the house lost power, check whether the neighbors still have it. If they don't, it's a utility outage; report it to Met-Ed or PPL. If they do and nothing in your panel has tripped, the problem is usually at your service connection or panel, which is an electrician's job, although some service-drop problems belong to the utility. Don't touch the meter. Our guide to [when to call an emergency electrician](https://pennsylvaniaelectricians.us/guides/when-to-call-an-emergency-electrician/) goes through more cases. ## Signs it's time to call now - A hot, buzzing, or crackling panel or breaker - A scorched, melted, or hot-smelling outlet or switch - Power out in part of the house while neighbors have power - Lights brightening and dimming across the house - A breaker that trips again immediately after one reset - Loss of power to heat, a sump pump, or medical equipment ## What an emergency electrician costs Expect to pay more outside normal hours. [Angi](https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-hire-electrician.htm) reports that emergency visits often cost about double the normal hourly rate, or $100 to $200 added to regular rates for nights and weekends, on top of a typical $100 to $200 service call. Ask about after-hours pricing on the phone before anyone comes out. The repair itself is priced like any other job once the cause is found; see the [Pennsylvania cost guide](https://pennsylvaniaelectricians.us/guides/electrician-cost-pennsylvania/). - Night, weekend, and holiday timing - Travel distance, especially outside cities - Whether a temporary fix is made now and the full repair scheduled later - Parts needed on the spot - Utility coordination for service or meter problems ## What to do while you wait 1. **Keep people away** from the hazard, and keep children and pets out of the area. 2. **Turn off and unplug** anything on the affected circuit if you can do it without touching anything hot, wet, or damaged. 3. **Don't open the panel** or remove covers. The service conductors stay live even with the main breaker off. 4. **Stay out of standing water** anywhere near electrical equipment. 5. **Have the address, ZIP code, and what happened** ready for the electrician. ## Questions to ask on an emergency call - What's your after-hours or emergency rate, and is there a service fee? - Can you make it safe tonight and give me a written price for the full repair? - Do you need the utility involved? - Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license. Does my municipality require one for this work, and what's your license number if so? What's your PAHIC registration number? - Will this need a permit or inspection afterward? ## FAQ **Is a burning smell from an outlet an emergency?** Treat it as one. Stop using the outlet and unplug anything in it. If there's smoke, sparking, or the smell is getting stronger, leave the house and call 911. Otherwise, call an electrician urgently; heat and a burning smell mean a bad connection. **Who do I call for a downed power line in Pennsylvania?** Your electric utility, and 911 if anyone is in danger. Met-Ed (York, Reading, Hanover areas) is 1-888-544-4877 and PPL (Lancaster, Harrisburg, Allentown areas) is 1-800-342-5775. Assume any downed line is energized and stay well away. **Do emergency electricians cost more?** Usually. Angi reports emergency visits often cost about double the normal hourly rate, or an added $100 to $200 for nights and weekends. Ask before the electrician comes out. **Is help available 24 hours a day?** Call and ask. Availability depends on which participating electricians cover your ZIP code and when you call, so we can't promise around-the-clock service or a response time. **Half my house has no power. What should I do?** Check whether the neighbors have power. If they don't, report the outage to your utility. If they do and nothing has tripped, the problem is likely at your panel or service connection; call an electrician and don't touch the meter. Referral disclosure: Pennsylvania Electricians is an independent contractor-referral service connecting homeowners and property owners with participating electrical professionals. Services are performed by independent contractors. We may receive compensation for qualified referrals. Phone: (717) 409-6059.