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Problem guide · SAMPLE

No power — when to call an electrician

Lights out, panel dead, or only part of the house dark. Check neighbors and the street first. A utility outage is not a job for a private crew until the grid side is clear.

Do this first

Look outside. If the block is dark, report the outage to your utility. Stay away from downed lines. Ready.gov and CDC say treat fallen lines as live and call the utility or 911 (Ready.gov Power Outages).
If only your house (or part of it) is out, check the main breaker and any GFCI/AFCI devices with dry hands on a dry floor. Red Cross: if you see sparks, frayed wires, or smell hot insulation, shut power at the main only if you can reach the panel dry. Do not stand in water to do it (Red Cross: Checking Your Home’s Utilities).
Unplug sensitive electronics so a surge does not hit them when power returns (Ready.gov).
Use flashlights, not candles. Generators stay outdoors, well away from windows. Never backfeed the panel without approved transfer gear.

What qualifies as an electrical emergency?

Call a licensed electrician when you see sparks, smell burning, find hot outlets, face a breaker that will not reset, or lose power in your house only after you checked the street. A whole-block outage is a utility job first. Downed lines: stay back and call 911 or the utility. Ready.gov treats fallen lines as live (Ready.gov Power Outages). Browse the list and call a listed shop. We do not book the job.

Why did my power suddenly go out?

Check whether neighbors and the street are dark. If the block is out, report to your utility and wait. If only your house (or part of it) is dark, check the main breaker and GFCI/AFCI with dry hands on a dry floor. Unplug sensitive gear. Use flashlights, not candles. Generators stay outdoors. Never backfeed the panel. Then call a listed electrician if the house-only outage stays.

Should I call 911 for a power outage?

A dark house alone is usually not a 911 call. Call the utility for a neighborhood outage. Call 911 (or the utility) for downed lines, lines on a car, or a smell of burning with smoke or fire. Stay away from downed lines. Ready.gov treats fallen lines as live. After the scene is safe, call a listed electrician for house-side repairs.

Who to call for an electrical emergency?

Neighborhood outage: your electric utility. Downed lines or fire: 911 / utility. House-only no power, sparking outlet, or breaker that will not reset: a licensed electrician. Open our Puget Sound list, pick a row with a phone, and call. Verify credentials on WA L&I Verify. We list operators. We do not book jobs or invent ratings.

Call a listed shop

Call a listed shop from this directory. Phones are locked from the harvest. Confirm yourself before you hire.

Back to the list How to hire Verify with WA L&I

Power out or something sparking? Utility first, electrician second

Seattle City Light: Outages: (206) 684-3000. Have your account number or the account phone number ready. (Seattle City Light — View and report outages)
Puget Sound Energy: 24/7 outage and emergency line: 1-888-225-5773. (Puget Sound Energy — Report a power outage)

Checked against the official pages linked above on 2026-10-08. Numbers change, so confirm on the utility’s site.