Power Out? What to Do and When to Call an Electrician
Published By Spark Shark Electric
Published · Updated
A power outage can begin on the utility system, at the service equipment serving your home, or on an individual circuit inside the house. A dark house does not prove where the failure is, so start with checks that do not require opening electrical equipment.
First, Check for a Wider Outage
Look for streetlights and nearby homes that have also lost power, but do not walk outside during dangerous weather just to investigate. Check the OG&E outage system and report the outage if your address is affected.
If only your home appears to be without power, the problem could still be on the utility service, at the meter or service connection, or inside your electrical system. Report the outage to OG&E and arrange an electrical evaluation if the utility does not identify an outage affecting your service.
Stay Away From Downed Lines
Assume every downed power line is energized. OG&E warns that the ground around a downed line may also carry dangerous voltage. Keep people and pets at least 35 feet away, do not touch anything contacting the line, and report it to OG&E. Call 911 if someone is injured, a fire has started, or there is another immediate threat to life.
What a Homeowner Can Check Safely
If the panel area is dry and there is no smoke, burning odor, buzzing, sparking, discoloration, or visible damage, you may open only the normal hinged panel door and look for a clearly tripped breaker. Do not remove the panel cover.
Turn off or unplug equipment on the affected circuit. A clearly tripped breaker may be moved fully to OFF and then back to ON one time. If it trips again, will not reset, or the cause is unclear, leave it off and call an electrician.
Call for Help Right Away When
- You see smoke, active sparking, flames, or melted electrical material.
- You smell burning plastic or an electrical odor at the panel, meter, outlet, or appliance.
- Part of the home is dark while other lights become unusually bright or dim.
- You hear buzzing, crackling, or popping from electrical equipment.
- The main breaker or the same branch breaker trips again after one reset.
- The meter, service mast, or service cable appears damaged after wind, ice, or a falling tree.
For smoke, fire, or an immediate danger to occupants, leave the home if necessary and call 911 first. Bright-and-dim lighting or partial power can involve the utility service or the home's service equipment, so contact both the utility and an electrician.
What Not to Do
- Do not remove the panel cover or touch the meter, service conductors, or damaged electrical equipment. Line-side components may remain energized even when the main breaker is off.
- Do not keep resetting a breaker that trips again.
- Do not use a male-to-male cord or connect a generator through a wall outlet. A generator must not energize household wiring without approved transfer equipment.
- Do not enter standing water near outlets, panels, appliances, or damaged utility equipment.
Schedule a Nonemergency Evaluation When
A dead outlet, occasional flicker, or breaker that tripped once may not require an emergency response when there is no heat, odor, damage, or repeated failure. It still deserves timely evaluation if the cause is unknown or the condition returns.
Get Help in the OKC Metro
For an electrical problem at your home, call Spark Shark Electric at (405) 436-4776. Phone support is available 24/7. The standard $59 dispatch fee applies, with applicable evening or emergency service fees based on the appointment time.
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