When the power goes out, the first question is whose side the fault is on. The utility supplies the neighborhood up to your service connection; your own panel and circuits take it from there. What you can see usually points to the right first call.
A broad outage usually starts with the utility. A partial outage or a condition isolated to one property may need an electrician.
| What you see | Likely first call |
|---|---|
| Neighbors, streetlights, or the whole area are dark | Utility |
| Utility outage notice matches the outage | Utility |
| Only part of the property is out; neighbors still have power | Electrician |
| A breaker or device operated just before the outage | Electrician |
| Heat, odor, buzzing, or damage at property equipment | Electrician |
| Fallen lines or damaged service conductors | Emergency services and the utility; stay back |
Look beyond the property
Check whether nearby streetlights, neighboring properties, or shared building areas are dark too. Look up your utility’s outage notice on a charged phone. If the whole area is out, it starts with the utility, not an electrician.
Stay away from fallen lines, damaged service conductors, and utility equipment. Keep other people back, and report the condition to emergency services and the utility.
Signs the issue may be property-side
- Only part of the property has lost power
- Nearby properties and common areas still have normal service
- A specific breaker or device operated before the outage
- There is unusual heat, odor, buzzing, or visible damage at property equipment
- Power is present but lights are behaving abnormally across several circuits
None of these pin down the cause. They just mean a broad utility outage probably is not the explanation.
What not to do
Do not remove the panel cover, touch damaged service equipment, or keep cycling the main or branch breakers to “see if it comes back.” Never run a portable generator inside a building or connect one directly to household wiring. If electrical equipment is wet, keep clear.