Someone has had a shock? Call 000
Don't touch them if they may still be in contact with the power. If you can reach the main switch safely, turn it off; if you can't, keep everyone back and wait for help. Call 000 even if they seem fine, and follow what the operator tells you.
A tingle from a tap, shower or appliance
Stop using it
Don't touch that tap, appliance or spot again, and keep children and pets away from it.
Switch off if it's safe
For an appliance, switch it off at the wall, and unplug it only if you can do that without touching the faulty part. For a tap or shower, turn off the main switch if you can reach it safely.
Report it
Some networks ask you to report shocks and tingles, however small. Western Power says every electric shock on its network must be reported, including tingles from taps or appliances. SA Power Networks says to call it straight away on 13 13 66 and not to touch the spot again until its crew does a free inspection.
Get the wiring checked
If the fault is in the house wiring or a fixed appliance, it needs a licensed electrician. In South Australia, SA Power Networks says the power may stay off until that repair is done.
Who to call about a shock or a tingle
| Who | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone hurt, or any fire | Emergency services | 000 |
| South East Queensland | Energex | 13 19 62 |
| Regional Queensland | Ergon Energy | 13 16 70 |
| Perth and the main WA grid | Western Power | 13 13 51 |
| South Australia | SA Power Networks | 13 13 66 |
| Tasmania | TasNetworks | 132 004 |
| Everywhere else | Your network's emergency line if it could be the supply, or a licensed electrician | Every number is in our outage guide |
A burning smell: find it, or call 000
If you can smell burning and can see where it's coming from, such as a power point, light, switch or appliance, switch that item off and unplug it if that's safe. If it's coming from the switchboard, keep away from it, and turn off the main switch only if you can reach it without going near smoke or heat.
If you can't find the source, or there's smoke, get everyone out and call 000. Electrical fires can start inside a wall or ceiling where you can't see them.
Once everyone is safe, a licensed electrician needs to find the cause before that circuit goes back on.
Warning signs to act on, even without a shock
- A power point, switch or plug that's warm, discoloured or scorched.
- Buzzing, crackling, or a smell of hot plastic.
- Lights that flicker or dim along with a smell or heat.
- A safety switch that trips again and again.
- Tingles from a tap, shower, metal sink or appliance case.
- Melted or damaged leads and power boards.
What you can do, and what's licensed work
You can
- Call 000 if anyone is hurt, or there's smoke or fire.
- Turn off the main switch if you can reach it safely.
- Switch off and unplug a faulty appliance if you can do it without touching the damaged part.
- Report shocks and tingles to your network where it asks for them.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Finding out why a tap, shower or appliance is giving tingles.
- Checking the earthing and testing the safety switches.
- Replacing scorched or damaged power points, switches and fittings.
- Repairing the wiring before the power goes back on.
Renting? Tell the landlord too
In WA, Building and Energy tells tenants to report a shock or tingle to the network operator straight away, then to the landlord. If the fault is in the wiring or a fixed appliance, the landlord has to engage a licensed electrical contractor. In NSW, any electrical fault in a rental is an urgent repair, and in the ACT a dangerous electrical fault is one too.
The one thing we'd insist on
Don't let a tingle become normal. A tap or shower that bites a little today is telling you current is leaking somewhere, and if it hasn't tripped a safety switch, that doesn't make it safe. Report it, stop using it, and have it found by an electrician who does fault finding, not someone who just resets the switch.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.