This emergency electrician Townsville guide covers what counts as an electrical emergency, when Ergon or 000 comes first, what to do safely while you wait, and which faults can wait for a normal booking.
What counts as an electrical emergency
An electrical fault is an emergency when it creates a risk of fire or electric shock. These are the signs that mean you should stop using the circuit and call an emergency electrician in Townsville straight away:
A burning or hot plastic smell from a power point, switch, light fitting or the switchboard, with or without visible smoke.
Sparking, crackling or buzzing at the switchboard, or a power point or switch that is hot to touch, scorched or discoloured.
A safety switch that trips and will not reset even with every appliance on that circuit unplugged.
Water in light fittings, power points or the switchboard, which in Townsville usually follows a storm, roof damage or a burst pipe in the ceiling.
Lights dimming or surging across the house when a large appliance starts, or power to some rooms and not others. That pattern can point to a failing neutral connection, which can damage appliances and create a shock risk. Turn off the main switch and call. If neighbours have the same problem, report it to Ergon on 13 22 96 as well.
A tingle or shock from a tap, appliance, metal roof or fence. Report shocks and tingles to Ergon Energy on 13 16 70 as well, because the cause can be on the network side.
Fallen powerlines and storm damage: call Ergon first
Powerlines on the ground, on a car or tangled in a tree are handled by Ergon Energy. Ergon's emergency line for fallen powerlines and electric shocks is 13 16 70, and it runs 24 hours. If someone is injured or there is a fire, call 000. Treat every fallen line as live, keep people and pets well clear, and leave branches or debris touching a line where they are.
Ergon takes reports of power outages on 13 22 96. If your whole street is dark after a storm, that is a network fault and Ergon's outage map will usually show it. If your neighbours have power and you don't, check your switchboard for a tripped safety switch or main switch first. Storm damage to the meter box, switchboard or wiring inside the property needs a licensed electrician once the area is safe.
What to do safely while you wait
If you can reach the switchboard without touching anything wet, hot, smoking or sparking, turn off the main switch. That cuts grid power to the house wiring. If you have solar, the inverter has its own shutdown procedure printed on a label at the switchboard or beside the inverter, usually the solar supply main switch first and then the DC isolator. Follow that label. A home battery with backup can keep some circuits live during a grid outage, so check its isolation steps too.
If a safety switch trips, unplug every appliance on that circuit and try resetting it once. If it holds, plug appliances back in one at a time. The one that trips it again is faulty, and it can stay unplugged until it is checked. If the switch trips with everything unplugged, the fault is in the fixed wiring and needs an electrician. Don't keep forcing a breaker or safety switch back on, because each reset puts current back through the fault.
Never touch a person who is receiving a shock. Turn off the power at the main switch if you can reach it safely, then call 000. Don't use water on an electrical fire; get everyone out and call 000. If the main switch has to stay off for a while, keep the fridge and freezer doors shut to hold the cold in.
What can wait for a normal booking
Plenty of electrical problems are annoying but not dangerous, and they can be booked in during normal hours:
One dead power point while the rest of the circuit works, with no heat, smell or scorching.
A single light flickering or not working, which is often the globe, the LED driver or the fitting itself.
A breaker that tripped once during a storm and has stayed on since.
A chirping smoke alarm, which usually means a flat battery or an alarm at the end of its life. Queensland law requires every home to have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027, so a replacement is a good time to bring the whole house up to that standard.
An old switchboard with ceramic fuses and no safety switches. It needs replacing, but it can be planned rather than rushed. Our guide to switchboard upgrade signs explains what to look for.
Booking an emergency electrician Townsville callout with On Point
On Point Solar & Electrical does emergency callouts for homes and businesses across Townsville. Call 0422 677 121 rather than using the contact form, so we can hear what is happening and give you advice over the phone while we arrange the callout.
It helps to tell us your address and how to get access, what happened just before the fault, what is switched off now, whether there is any smell, heat or smoke, and whether the house has solar or a battery. For a business, tell us which equipment is affected and anything that has to stay powered, such as cool rooms or refrigeration. If anything is still sparking or smoking, or someone has had a shock, call 000 first.
For non-urgent work, send us the details through our contact page. Our Townsville electrician page lists the general electrical work we do, from switchboard upgrades to smoke alarms and fault-finding.
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We handle electrical services across Townsville and the Burdekin — quoted upfront, installed by our own accredited local team.