After-hours and emergency electrical across south-east Melbourne
A site that cannot trade, refrigeration without power, or a fault that cannot wait until Monday. The phone is answered 24 hours a day by someone who can tell you what to isolate before we arrive.
- 5.0 from 216 Google reviews
- Registered Electrical Contractor REC 20101
- 25 years trading
Something has failed and the site cannot trade
Commercial faults cost money by the hour. The first job is restoring what can safely be restored, not completing the repair.
- A site that cannot open or cannot trade because of an electrical fault.
- Refrigeration or cool room without power, with stock at risk.
- Total loss of supply to a tenancy while the street still has power.
- Burning smell, smoke or scorching at a board or an outlet.
- Water into a switchboard or into live equipment.
- A main switch ormain breaker that will not stay on.
- Exposed or damaged cable anywhere the public or staff can reach it.
- Lighting failure that leaves a work area or a car park unsafe.
What an emergency call out actually covers
Making safe and repairing properly are two visits, and separating them is usually the cheaper path. We say so on the phone.
- A person answers the phone, 24 hours a day, including public holidays.
- Advice on what to isolate before we arrive, which is often the most useful ten minutes.
- Attendance prioritised by risk, with anything sparking or smoking ahead of everything else.
- The site made safe first, with the failed circuit isolated and the rest restored.
- Temporary supply arrangements where restoring the permanent one will take longer.
- Permanent repair booked for normal hours where that is the cheaper path, and we will say so.
- The after-hours call-out position explained on the phone before anyone is dispatched.
- Testing and certification for the work carried out.
About After-hours fault finding
What to do before we arrive
If there is fire, smoke, or somebody is in contact with electricity, ring 000 first. Do not touch a person who is being shocked. If you can safely reach the main switch, turn it off, and otherwise stay back.
For everything else, the single most useful thing is knowing where your main switch is. It is the largest switch on the board, usually top left, and turning it off isolates the whole property. Worth finding out before you need it in the dark.
Is it your problem or the network’s
If your neighbours have no power either, it is a network fault and no electrician can fix it. Ring your distributor, whose faults number is on your electricity bill.
If only part of your property is out while the street is fine, the fault is in your installation and that is ours. Look at the switchboard: a tripped breaker or safety switch sitting in the off or middle position tells us which circuit to start on.
What counts as tonight
- A burning smell, smoke, or scorch marks at an outlet, a switch or the board.
- Sparking from anything.
- Anyone receiving a shock from an appliance, a tap or a fitting.
- Total loss of power while the street still has supply.
- Water into a switchboard or into live equipment.
- A safety switch that will not stay on with everything unplugged.
- A commercial site that cannot trade or cannot keep refrigeration running.
A single dead circuit, with the rest of the house working and nothing hot or smelling, can wait until business hours and will cost you less.
Make safe now, repair properly later
On most after hours calls the right commercial decision is to isolate the failed circuit, restore everything else, and book the permanent repair for normal hours at a normal rate. That takes the urgency out within the hour and costs considerably less than completing the full repair at an after hours rate.
We will tell you when that is the better path rather than doing the expensive version because you rang at midnight.
What it costs
A call out fee applies outside 7:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and we tell you the amount on the phone before anyone is dispatched. Nobody should discover a call out fee on an invoice.
We quote the job in front of us
No rate card, because the honest number depends on things nobody can see from a website. Estimates are free.
03 9889 3341Not urgent? Send the details and we will come back to you within one business day.
Standards this work is held to
Emergency work follows the same standards as everything else. Making a site safe is not an excuse to leave something non-compliant behind, and where a temporary arrangement is used it is documented and a permanent repair is scheduled.
The commercially useful decision on most after-hours calls is whether to fix it now or make it safe now and repair it properly at a normal rate on Tuesday. Isolating a failed circuit and restoring the rest of the site is usually quick, and it takes the urgency out. We will tell you when that is the better option rather than billing the full repair at an after-hours rate.
How long it takes
- Phone answered
- Immediately, 24 hours a day, seven days, including public holidays.
- On site, core suburbs
- We aim to be there within two hours for genuine emergencies.
- On site, outer areas
- Longer overnight. We give you a realistic time on the phone rather than leaving you waiting.
- Permanent repair
- Booked for normal hours wherever making safe is sufficient for the night.
Rated 5.0 across 216 Google reviews
-
Symon did a brilliant job replacing my bathroom fan. He quoted me $700 when another company quoted me over $2k for the same job! Symon was easy to communicate with, performed the job quickly and tidied up after himself. Would…
Aretha Peethamparam, Google review -
We recommend Simon unreservedly. Tired of overpriced superficial service and competency? Don’t look any further than Simon @ STL Electrical. And to boot, he’s a good guy. Simon will now be our go-to sparky.
Nigel Bird, Google review -
Highly recommend Simon and STL Electrical. One of our mains tripped during a freak thunderstorm resulting in no power to part of our kitchen (incl fridge) and internet. Simon was a lifesaver and kind enough to respond to an after…
Nat Chen, Google review
After-hours fault finding questions we get asked
What does an after-hours call-out cost?
A call-out fee applies outside 7:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, and we tell you the amount on the phone before dispatching anyone. Nobody should discover a call-out fee on an invoice.
The whole street is dark. Can you help?
No, and nor can any electrician. That is a network fault and only your distributor can restore supply. Their faults number is on the electricity bill.
Can you just make it safe tonight?
Usually, and often it is the cheaper option. Isolating the failed circuit and restoring the rest of the site takes the urgency out, and the permanent repair happens at a normal rate.
Do you attend commercial sites overnight?
Yes. Loss of trade, failed refrigeration and dead three phase supply are all attended 24 hours.
What should I have ready when I ring?
The address, what has failed, whether anything smells hot or is sparking, and who can give us access. That is usually enough to tell you whether it is tonight or tomorrow.
Related
Talk to an electrician now
Fastest way to get an answer is the phone. It is answered 24 hours a day, seven days.
03 9889 3341Not urgent? Send the details and we will come back to you within one business day.