# When Should You Call an Emergency Electrician? | Pennsylvania Electricians

> Which electrical problems need 911 or the utility first, which need an urgent electrician, and which can wait, with Met-Ed and PPL numbers for Pennsylvania.

URL: https://pennsylvaniaelectricians.us/guides/when-to-call-an-emergency-electrician/

**Short answer:** Call 911 first for smoke, flame, sparking, or a burning smell, and the utility for downed lines or flooded equipment. Call an electrician urgently for a hot or buzzing panel, a scorched outlet, partial power loss when neighbors have power, or a breaker that trips instantly. A single dead outlet can usually wait.

## First: is it 911 or the utility?

An electrician repairs the problem. Some situations need someone else to make them safe first.

| Situation | Who to call first |
|---|---|
| Smoke, flame, or sparking from an outlet, fixture, appliance, or the panel | **911.** Get everyone out. |
| A burning smell you can't trace, or one that's getting stronger | **911.** Leave the house. |
| Someone has been shocked and is hurt | **911.** Don't touch them if they may still be in contact with the source. |
| A downed or sagging power line, or a damaged meter or service mast | **The utility.** Stay well away; assume it's energized. |
| Water has reached the panel, outlets, or cords | **The utility** to disconnect power. Don't enter standing water. |

**Pennsylvania utility numbers:** Met-Ed (York, Reading, and Hanover areas) 1-888-544-4877. PPL Electric Utilities (Lancaster, Harrisburg, and Allentown areas) 1-800-342-5775. If you're elsewhere, the number is on your bill.

## Then: does it need an electrician now?

Once everyone is safe, these problems justify an urgent call instead of waiting for a regular appointment:

- **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. That points to your panel or service connection.
- **Lights brighten and dim across the house.** That can be a loose neutral connection, which can damage electronics and appliances.
- **A breaker trips instantly** every time it's reset.
- **You've lost power to heat, a sump pump, or medical equipment** in cold weather or a storm.

## What can usually wait

If nothing is hot, smoking, sparking, or smelling, these can usually wait for a regular appointment, which costs less:

- A single dead outlet (after you've pressed the reset button on any GFCI outlets)
- One flickering fixture
- A breaker that tripped once and has stayed on since you reset it
- A switch that stopped working
- Planning work like a [panel upgrade](/electrical-panel-upgrade/) or [rewiring](/electrical-wiring/)

Stop using the affected outlet or circuit until it's fixed.

## Partial outages: yours or the utility's?

If half the house goes dark:

1. **Check the neighbors.** If they're out too, it's a utility outage; report it.
2. **Check the panel** for a tripped breaker, without opening the cover.
3. **If the neighbors have power and nothing has tripped,** the problem is likely your panel or service connection. Call an electrician, and don't touch the meter.

## While you wait

- Keep people, kids, and pets away from the problem.
- Unplug things on the affected circuit if you can do it without touching anything hot, wet, or damaged.
- Don't open the panel or remove covers. The service conductors feeding the main breaker stay live even when it's off.
- Have your address, ZIP code, and a description of what happened ready.

## What an emergency call costs

[Angi's 2026 data](https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-hire-electrician.htm) says emergency visits often cost about double the normal hourly rate, or $100 to $200 added for nights and weekends, on top of a typical $100 to $200 service call. Asking for a "make it safe tonight, full repair tomorrow" approach can keep costs down. See [emergency electrician](/emergency-electrician/) and the [Pennsylvania cost guide](/guides/electrician-cost-pennsylvania/).

Availability after hours depends on participating electricians in your area; we can't promise a response time.

## Quick answers

**Is a buzzing electrical panel an emergency?**

Treat it as urgent. Buzzing or crackling at the panel can mean a loose connection or a failing breaker. Keep people away, don't open it, and call an electrician. If there's smoke, heat you can feel from a distance, or a burning smell, leave and call 911.

**What should I do if my basement floods near the electrical panel?**

Don't walk into the water. Call your utility (Met-Ed 1-888-544-4877 or PPL 1-800-342-5775) to disconnect power if needed, and have an electrician evaluate everything the water reached before power is restored.

**How much more does an emergency electrician cost?**

Angi reports emergency visits often cost about double the normal hourly rate, or an added $100 to $200 for nights and weekends. Ask about after-hours pricing before the electrician comes out.

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.