When to call immediately — and when to wait until morning
Not every electrical problem is an emergency. Here's a clear breakdown so you know when to call us now vs when to book a standard appointment:
🚨 Call immediately
Sparking from any outlet, switch, or panel — any time of day or night
🚨 Call immediately
Burning smell or smoke from outlets, walls, or the electrical panel
🚨 Call immediately
Power out to whole home when ConEd shows no area outage
🚨 Call immediately
Breaker that trips repeatedly and won't stay reset
🚨 Call immediately
Flooding or water intrusion near electrical panels, outlets, or wiring
🚨 Call immediately
Exposed live wiring — do not touch, clear the area and call
📅 Book standard appointment
Single dead outlet or switch (no burning smell)
📅 Book standard appointment
Dimming lights without burning smell or sparking
📅 Book standard appointment
Non-critical circuit offline — bedroom, bathroom, non-essential area
If in doubt, call. We will tell you honestly whether it needs emergency dispatch or can wait until morning. We don't manufacture emergencies.
What to do while waiting for an emergency electrician
While you wait for our crew, take these steps to stay safe:
- Sparking or burning smell: Turn off the main breaker if you can safely reach it. If you can't, leave the area and call 911 if you see flames or smoke.
- Tripping breaker: Do not reset a breaker more than twice. If it trips again, leave it off and note which circuits are affected.
- Power out to whole home: Check ConEd's outage map (coned.com) first — if there's a neighborhood outage, you may need to wait for ConEd, not us.
- Flooding near electrical: Do not enter a flooded area where electrical equipment is present. Turn off your main breaker from a dry location if safe to do so, and wait for us.
- Exposed wiring: Clear the immediate area. Do not touch the wiring. Cordon it off if others are in the home.
Have ready when we arrive: Panel location, which circuits or areas are affected, when the problem started, and any recent electrical work. This helps us diagnose faster and reduces your bill.
How emergency pricing works — no surprises
Emergency electrical work in NYC costs more than daytime work — that's honest and unavoidable. Running a 24/7 operation with licensed electricians on call has real costs. What should never happen is price gouging on a $15 breaker replacement by inflating an emergency "diagnostic fee."
Here's exactly how we price emergency work:
- The emergency call-out fee starts at $150 and rises with the hour — see the live fee below. It covers dispatch and the first portion of diagnostic work, and it goes toward the repair.
- After-hours labor runs at 1.5–2× our standard daytime rate.
- Once we identify the problem, we give you a written or clearly stated price for the repair before we start. You can say no.
- Parts are charged at cost with no markup hidden in inflated labor hours.
We've been doing this in NYC for 20+ years. Our emergency repeat customer rate is high because we don't use a crisis to overcharge. You'll get an itemized invoice when the job is done.
- 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM$150
- 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM$175
- 1:00 AM – 5:00 AM$200
- 5:00 AM – 8:00 AM$225
- Sundays & public holidays$250
- Mon–Sat 8:00 AM – 5:00 PMStandard
Sundays & public holidays are billed at the $250 rate regardless of the hour. The fee covers dispatch and initial diagnosis; the repair itself is quoted before any work starts.
Common emergency repairs we handle across NYC
These are the most common calls we receive after hours:
- Breaker that won't reset — typically an overloaded circuit, a failed breaker, or a short. We diagnose and fix on the spot in most cases.
- Sparking outlet — usually a failed outlet, loose connection, or arcing. We replace the outlet and inspect the circuit for upstream issues.
- Partial power loss — one floor or section of a home going dark is often a failed circuit, a tripped main breaker, or a neutral wire issue at the panel.
- Complete power loss (not ConEd) — main breaker failure, service entrance problem, or meter issue. We diagnose and coordinate with ConEd if needed.
- Burning smell from panel — treat this as urgent. Failed or overloaded breakers can arc inside the panel. We inspect, identify the source, and replace as needed.
- Post-flood electrical assessment — required before restoring power after any flooding near electrical equipment. We document everything for insurance purposes.
Frequently asked questions
MP Electric NYC typically responds within 1–3 hours for emergency calls in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Exact response time depends on current crew location and call volume. Call (877) 976-7353 directly for fastest response — don't use the web form for genuine emergencies.
Emergency calls carry an upfront service response (call-out) fee, typically $150–$300 for off-hours, weekends, or holidays — this covers travel and the first hour of diagnostics. From there, most after-hours repairs run $200–$500 total depending on the problem, with after-hours labor at 1.5–2× standard rates. We always quote a clear total before starting any repair, so you're never surprised.
Call immediately for: sparking from any outlet or panel, burning smell, power out to the whole home (when ConEd shows no outage), breakers that trip and won't stay reset, exposed live wiring, or flooding near electrical equipment. Single dead outlets, dimming lights without smell, and minor flickering can typically wait until morning.
If you smell burning or see sparking, turn off the main breaker if you can safely reach it. Don't reset a tripping breaker more than twice. Don't enter flooded areas near electrical equipment. Note which circuits and areas are affected. Have the panel location accessible when we arrive.
Yes. We dispatch after-hours to Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx. Staten Island is available on request with slightly longer response times.
No. Our service call fee covers diagnostic work. Once we identify the problem, we tell you what it will cost to fix before we start. You decide whether to proceed. We don't hold your power hostage.
What our customers say
"Called at 11pm with a sparking outlet in our kitchen. Electrician arrived within 90 minutes, diagnosed a failing outlet with a loose connection behind the wall, replaced it and checked the whole circuit. Professional, calm, and honest about the price upfront."
"Our panel started humming and smelling like burning on a Sunday. MP Electric was there in 2 hours, replaced two failing breakers, and explained exactly what caused it. Didn't try to sell us anything we didn't need."
"Lost power to our whole apartment in Manhattan at 1am before a big presentation. They came quickly, found a failed neutral connection at the panel, fixed it in an hour. Lifesavers."
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Call now — 24/7 emergency electrical
Don't wait on a sparking outlet, burning smell, or unexplained power loss. We dispatch to all NYC boroughs around the clock. Call directly for fastest response.
