Before Anything Else
- In the event of fire, smoke, or an electrical shock or injury, evacuate the premises immediately and dial 911.
- If a power line is down, stay far away from it and anything it makes contact with, and call 911 alongside your power company.
- Sparks or a burning smell from one outlet or fixture: if you can reach the panel safely, switch off that breaker. Then give us a call.
An outlet sparks and leaves a scorch mark, or a switch begins to emit a burning smell. Shut off that circuit breaker if you can safely access the panel, leave the device alone, and contact us immediately for an emergency electrical repair. Call (404) 357-4144.
When a fallen tree limb pulls the service drop and weatherhead mast off the house, the physical power line is the utility company's responsibility to repair. However, the conduit mast and meter base that the wire was attached to belong to you, and repairing those structural components so the utility can safely reconnect power is our part of the job.
If your entire home goes completely dark while your neighbors' lights stay on, report the outage to your utility provider before doing anything else. For an issue that is annoying but stable—such as a single dead outlet—you can submit a standard service request through our regular online form.
What This Covers
- Storm damage to the service mast, weatherhead and meter base
- Repairs needed before the utility can reconnect a downed service drop
- Sparking, smoking or scorched outlets and switches
- Sudden loss of power to the whole house
- Half the house dead, or lights surging bright and dim
- A burning smell, buzzing or heat at the panel
Signs It’s Time to Call
- A tree or limb has pulled the service line or mast off the house
- The meter box is loose, bent or hanging off the wall
- An outlet, a switch or the panel sparks, smokes or smells of burning
- Your power is out but the neighbors have theirs
- Water has gotten to the panel or the outlets
What to Do, and What Happens Next
Get Everyone Safe
In the event of fire, smoke, or an electrical shock or injury, evacuate the premises immediately and dial 911. If a power line is down, stay far away from it and anything it makes contact with, and call 911 alongside your power company. Never touch a person who remains in contact with a live electrical wire.
Switch Off What You Safely Can
If an outlet is sparking or you detect a burning odor, shut off that specific circuit breaker, or turn off the main breaker if you cannot identify the correct switch. Only attempt this if both the electrical panel and the floor are completely dry and the panel shows no signs of structural damage. If the panel itself feels hot, is sparking, or is smoking, do not touch it—evacuate immediately and call 911. Keep the panel cover closed.
Tell the Power Company, Then Contact Us
Report a total power outage or any physical damage at the meter directly to your electric utility provider. For most of the Atlanta metropolitan area, this is Georgia Power, though certain neighborhoods are served by electric cooperatives like Cobb EMC or GreyStone Power, or municipal utilities such as Marietta Power. Once you have notified them, contact us to report what you see and what remains functional by calling (404) 357-4144.
Make It Safe, Then Find the Fault
Our priority upon arriving at your property is to secure the hazard and ensure immediate safety. Afterward, we trace the source of the failure, whether that involves inspecting a storm-damaged conduit mast, weatherhead, or meter base, or examining the wiring connections hidden behind a sparking outlet.
Repair, Inspection and Reconnection
We repair or replace the compromised components and verify their safety through diagnostic testing. Because repairs to main service equipment generally require a municipal electrical permit and a formal inspection, the utility company will safely restore your power once all local regulatory requirements are satisfied.
Common Questions
The power line to my house came down. Who fixes what?
Stay away from it, assume it's live, and call 911 and your electric utility. The utility owns the line from the pole to your house and the meter, and its crews repair it.
You own what the line attaches to: the mast and weatherhead, the meter base and the wiring from there in. If any of that was bent, torn loose or broken, the utility can't reconnect until an electrician has repaired it. Georgia Power says so in its storm guidance, and Cobb EMC has the same requirement.
Is a sparking outlet an emergency?
If it sparks more than once, crackles, smokes, feels hot or shows scorch marks, yes. Those are signs of arcing at a loose or damaged connection, and arcing makes enough heat to start a fire. If you see flames, get out and call 911. Otherwise, switch off the breaker for that circuit, leave the outlet alone and contact us. Call (404) 357-4144.
My whole house lost power. What should I check first?
Look outside first. If the neighbors are dark too, it's a utility outage, and the utility's outage map will tell you more. If only your house is out, the cause is likely at the line serving it, the meter or the main breaker. A main breaker that tripped did so for a reason, so don't keep resetting it. Report the outage to the utility, then contact us. Call (404) 357-4144.