You do not need to diagnose an electrical fault before calling. Say what has happened, where you are and whether anyone is at risk. The electrician can ask the follow-up questions.
For fire or immediate danger, call 000 first. Stay away from shocks, fallen wires, wet electrical equipment and anything hot, damaged or sparking. Call from a safe place.
Do not re-enter an unsafe property to gather details. Report an electric shock or tingle to the electricity distributor immediately. Stay at least eight metres away from fallen powerlines and anything touching them.
If someone depends on powered medical equipment, follow their emergency plan; call 000 if their health is at risk.
A simple way to start the call
“I'm in Woy Woy. The kitchen outlets lost power when we turned the kettle on. The lights still work. I haven't reset anything. Can you help?”
That is an example, not a script you need to memorise. If there is a burning smell, water or a shock, say that first. Give the street address privately when arranging attendance.
The information that helps
What happened?
Describe what you noticed: a loss of power, a tripped switch, a noise, a smell or equipment that stopped working. You do not need to know whether the cause is a circuit breaker, appliance or wiring fault.
What is affected?
Mention whether it is one appliance, a group of outlets, the lighting or the whole property. Tell the electrician if essential medical equipment or another critical load is affected.
When did it start?
Say whether it happened once or has repeated, and whether it followed rain, cleaning, building work or a new appliance. Remember that an intermittent fault is not necessarily less urgent. Do not recreate the fault to check.
Is there visible damage or another hazard?
Describe only what you have already seen from a safe position. Do not touch equipment to see whether it is hot, open covers or enter a roof space to investigate.
What access is available?
Mention locked gates, a shared switchboard or any access arrangements that could affect attendance. Do not send alarm codes, keysafe codes or other sensitive access details through a website form.
If you do not know the answers
“I don't know” is useful too. Missing a circuit label or being unsure where the switchboard is does not prevent you from asking for help.
Photos can help with some planned work, but are optional. Do not delay urgent help or approach damaged equipment to take one.
What to confirm before the visit
Ask about availability, the ETA and the initial attendance or fault-finding charge. Urgent work may need assessment and immediate safety work before a full repair scope is known. Planned work is quoted in writing.
If the issue needs parts, further testing or network coordination, the next steps can be explained after assessment. A phone description cannot establish every repair required.
When it is urgent and when it can wait
Say so plainly if there is a hazard. A burning smell, a hot or discoloured outlet or switch, sparking, crackling, a shock or tingle, water reaching electrical equipment or a whole-property loss of power with medical equipment in use are reasons to call straight away, at any hour. Keep clear of the equipment while you talk.
A single tripped circuit that will not reset, a powerpoint that has stopped working, a light that flickers without any smell or heat, or a switchboard that looks old are worth calling about, but they can usually be arranged as a planned visit. Turning the affected equipment off and leaving it off is enough until then. Do not keep resetting, retesting or reconnecting to check whether the problem has gone.
If you are unsure which group your situation belongs in, describe it and ask. The electrician would rather hear about a symptom that turns out to be minor than have you wait with a fault that is not.
Common misunderstandings
You need the right technical words. You do not. “The switch in the box flipped and the fridge went off” is a clear report. If you do not know whether a device is a circuit breaker or a safety switch, describe what you saw and leave the identification to the electrician.
It fixed itself, so there is nothing to report. A fault that comes and goes is still a fault. An intermittent problem is often the kind that needs the most careful investigation, so mention the earlier occurrences when you call.
Photos are required. They are optional for planned work and never worth approaching damaged equipment to take. A phone description is enough to begin.
The call commits you to the work. Describing a fault and asking about availability and charges does not oblige you to proceed. Planned work is quoted in writing once the scope is understood, and urgent work is discussed on the call before anyone attends.
Calling AB Electrical
You speak directly with the electrician handling your electrical work. For an urgent fault, call 0405 343 343 from a safe place.
For planned work, send an enquiry with the suburb and a short description. Plain words are enough.
