Buzzing, a hot switch or a burning smell? Treat it as urgent
If a switch or light buzzes, smells hot or has scorch marks, turn that light off and leave it off. If the smell is getting stronger and you can reach the main switch safely, switch off there. Smoke or fire means getting everyone out and calling 000. Either way, a licensed electrician needs to find the fault before that light is used again.
Where it flickers, and what it usually means
| Usual cause | Who sorts it | |
|---|---|---|
| One light | A loose or failing globe, or an LED that doesn't match its dimmer | You can check the globe; the dimmer and fitting are an electrician's job |
| One room or one circuit | A loose connection at a switch, fitting or the switchboard, or too much on one circuit | A licensed electrician |
| When something big starts | A heavy appliance like an oven or air conditioner drawing a lot as it starts | An electrician, if it's more than a brief dip |
| The whole house | A loose main connection, or a problem with the supply | An electrician first, or the network if neighbours notice it too |
| Your street as well | The network | Your electricity network's faults line |
What to check, safely
Notice the pattern
Which lights flicker, when, and what else is running at the time? That's the most useful thing you can tell an electrician, and it often points straight at the cause.
Try the globe
Switch the light off and let the globe cool. Make sure it's seated firmly, or swap in a new one of the same type. If a new globe fixes it, you're done.
Check the dimmer
If it only flickers when dimmed, the LED and the dimmer may not suit each other. Try a globe the maker says is dimmable. Changing the dimmer itself is wiring work for an electrician.
Ask next door
If their lights are flickering too, check your network's outage map or call its faults line. An electrician can't fix the network's side of the meter.
Stop there
If it's a whole room or the whole house, or the flicker comes with buzzing or warmth, leave the rest to a licensed electrician.
Why a loose connection is the one to worry about
A loose connection in a switch, light fitting or switchboard makes and breaks contact, and you see that as flicker. It also heats up every time it arcs, which is how a small fault becomes a fire.
That's why NSW Fair Trading says only a qualified electrician should install, replace or move lights and switches, and why Energy Safe Victoria says even changing a light switch isn't a DIY job. Finding a loose connection means testing live circuits and opening up fittings, and that's exactly the work the licence is for.
When it's the supply, not your wiring
Some flicker and dimming comes from the network, especially at busy times. Powercor, which supplies western and regional Victoria, says winter demand is rising as homes switch to electric heating and transport, and it has upgraded parts of its low voltage network where customers reported low voltage at peak times. If your lights dim every evening and the neighbours see it too, report it.
Faults lines include Ausgrid on 13 13 88, Endeavour Energy on 131 003, Powercor on 13 24 12, Energex on 13 62 62 for supply problems, and Western Power on 13 13 51. Every network's number is in our guide to power out in part of the house.
Yours to check, and the electrician's
You can
- Reseat or swap a globe, with the light off and the globe cool.
- Try a dimmable LED if it only flickers when dimmed.
- Note when it happens and what else is running.
- Ask the neighbours, and check your network's outage map.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Changing a dimmer, switch or light fitting.
- Tightening or repairing connections at fittings or the switchboard.
- Splitting an overloaded circuit or adding a new one.
- Checking the main connection and the supply into the house.
Our honest read
A single flickering globe is a quick fix you can do yourself. Anything bigger, we wouldn't live with. Flicker across a room or the whole house means a connection somewhere isn't solid, and that's worth an electrician who does fault finding every week, not someone who'll just swap the switch and hope.
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.