24/7 · Raleigh · Wake County

Burning smell, sparks or no power? Call now.

A hot or buzzing outlet, a breaker that won’t reset, half the house dark, storm damage at the meter. One number, day or night.

(919) 888-3500Tap to call, day or night

Nights, weekends and holidays: the answering service picks up and the on-call electrician calls you right back.

After-hours fee: a flat $365 to send an electrician nights, weekends and holidays, confirmed with you before anyone is dispatched, on top of the repair. During business hours (Mon–Fri 8–5) there’s no emergency fee.

Smoke or flames? Get everyone out and call 911 first. Then call us.

While you wait

Three things that keep it from getting worse

1

Burning smell or sparks? Cut the power to it

Turn off that circuit’s breaker, or the main if you can’t tell which, as long as you can reach the panel safely and you’re standing somewhere dry. Don’t touch anything hot, wet or scorched.

2

No power? Look at the neighbors

If their lights are out too, it’s an outage and the power company fixes it (numbers below). If it’s only your house, check the main breaker before you call.

3

Lights dimming and brightening? Unplug

Turn off and unplug electronics and big appliances. Swinging voltage can mean the house has lost its neutral, and it damages whatever stays plugged in.

Line down? Stay well away from it and anything it’s touching, and call 911 and your power company. Never move it yourself.

When you call

What happens next

Someone picks up

Mon–Fri 8–5 it’s our office. Nights, weekends and holidays it’s the answering service, and the on-call electrician calls you back.

We confirm the fee before we roll

After hours you’re told the $365 dispatch fee on that call and you decide. Nobody shows up with a surprise.

Price before the repair

The electrician finds the problem, makes it safe, and gives you the price for the fix before doing it. Our electricians aren’t paid on commission.

$365 after-hours dispatch

  • Nights, weekends and holidays: a flat $365 to dispatch an electrician, confirmed before anyone is sent, in addition to the repair.
  • Mon–Fri 8–5: no emergency fee. Same-day when we can, and the in-home quote is free.
  • Every repair carries our 5-year workmanship warranty. Terms in full: terms · the ARC Promise.
Is it an emergency?

Pick your problem

What to do right now, and whether it needs an electrician tonight or can wait for business hours.

Call 911 firstSmoke, flames or a burning smell

If there’s smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911. Don’t open a hot panel. If it’s only a smell, with no smoke, turn off the breaker for that area (or the main, if you can reach the panel safely and you’re standing somewhere dry), then call us. A burning smell is usually a failing outlet, switch, breaker or connection, and it doesn’t fix itself.

Call us nowSparking, buzzing, or an outlet or switch that’s hot to the touch

Stop using it, unplug what’s in it if you can do that without touching anything hot, and turn off its breaker. Then call. Heat and buzzing mean a loose or failing connection, which is how electrical fires start.

Call us nowHalf the house is out, or the lights dim and brighten

Turn off and unplug TVs, computers and big appliances, then call. When some circuits die and others go dim or bright, the house may have lost one leg of its power or its neutral, and the swinging voltage can ruin anything plugged in. Check first whether the neighbors are having the same thing; if they are, it’s the power company’s line, so report it to them.

Power company firstThe whole house is dark

Look outside. If the neighbors are dark too, it’s an outage: report it to your power company (numbers below). If it’s only you, check the main breaker at the top of the panel. If the main won’t reset or trips again, or the meter or the pipe above it is damaged, call us.

Call 911 firstA line is down, or a tree took the service wires off the house

Stay well away from the wires and anything they touch, keep everyone inside, and call 911 and your power company. Once the line is safe, the power company reconnects to your meter base and the mast above it. Those belong to the house, and if they’re bent or torn off, they’re ours to repair before the power can go back on.

Call us nowWater in the panel, the outlets or a flooded basement

Don’t walk into water that could be touching anything electrical. If the panel is somewhere dry you can reach, turn off the main. If you can’t reach it safely, call your power company to cut the power, then call us. Wet breakers, outlets and wiring need to be checked before they’re turned back on.

Call us nowA breaker trips again as soon as you reset it

Leave it off. Never hold a breaker on or swap in a bigger one: it’s tripping to protect the wire. If that circuit runs something you can’t be without (the fridge, a sump pump, heat in winter, a medical device), call now. Otherwise it can usually wait for the morning.

Call us nowThe standby generator didn’t start or didn’t take over

Check the generator’s display for an alarm and make sure it’s set to Auto, then call. We maintain the Generac generators we install. Generators.

Call us nowA business has lost power to equipment, lights or a whole space

Our 24/7 line is open to any business, and existing commercial customers get priority. Tell us what’s down and what it’s costing you. Commercial electrical.

Can usually waitOne outlet or one room is dead, nothing burning

Check for a tripped breaker, and press Reset on every GFCI outlet: the ones with buttons in bathrooms, the kitchen, the garage and outside. One GFCI can cut power to outlets in other rooms. Still dead? It can usually wait until business hours, when there’s no emergency fee. GFCI and AFCI guide.

Who to call

Is it the power company’s problem, or yours?

The power company owns the wires to your house and the meter. From the meter base on your wall inward, the panel, the wiring and everything plugged in, it’s the house’s, and that’s us. Your power company is on your bill.

Report an outage or a downed line
Power companyServesOutages
Duke Energy ProgressMost of Wake County, Durham and Chapel Hill800-419-6356 · text OUT to 57801
Town of Apex ElectricInside Apex town limits919-372-7475
Wake Forest PowerTown of Wake Forest customers919-435-9478
Wake ElectricParts of north and east Wake Countywakeelectric.coop (outage number on their site)

Numbers from each utility’s and town’s own pages, checked October 2026. Downed line or a transformer on fire: call 911.

Wake County

24-hour electrician across Raleigh and Wake County

Our shop is in Fuquay-Varina, on the south side of Wake County, and the on-call electrician covers our whole service area at night and on weekends: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Morrisville, Durham, Garner, Wake Forest, Chapel Hill, Knightdale, Clayton and Angier. Same after-hours fee everywhere we go, confirmed before anyone is sent.

Our own electricians answer these calls, in marked ARC trucks: NC electrical license #29565, licensed and insured.

What people call us for after hours

  • Smoke, sparks or a burning smell from an outlet, switch or panel
  • Lights flickering or appliances acting up all over the house
  • Breakers that won’t reset, and burnt cords or outlets
  • Power out to the house when the neighbors still have it
  • Businesses with power out to equipment they can’t run without

Not sure it’s an emergency? If nothing is hot, burning or wet, it can usually wait until morning, with no fee and a free in-home quote. Call anyway and ask: the on-call electrician will tell you straight.

When it counts

4.9 ★ across 620+ reviews

★★★★★

“We had an emergency situation at night and the technician they sent out was wonderful, he showed up quickly and was extremely knowledgeable and really great to work with. He couldn’t complete the job that night due to some work that needed to be done by the electric company but returned first thing in the morning to finish everything. Couldn’t be more happy with the service provided by Mateo.”
Jim Adams Google review · Night emergency

★★★★★

“I’ve used ARC three times now for electrical work. Chris and Brandon were very helpful in locating and investigating a hot wire smell in my house. We talked through what could have caused it and they made the repair. The nicest part was that they came early to my emergency appointment, which allowed them to charge me a normal rate instead of the emergency rate. Not many businesses would do that and would charge the higher rate!”
Melinda Knuth Google review · Hot wire smell

★★★★★

“They came out within a day and fixed the problem ASAP. Thoroughly explained what had happened and the options to repair. No upselling which I appreciated. Will use them in the future for any electrical needs.”
Brian F. Yelp review · Fixed within a day

★★★★★

“When I had electricial issues in my townhome I first called the big company that does a lot of advertising. They quoted me $3800 to replace the entire electric panel. I called ARC for a second opinion. They were able to fix the actual issue the same day and for $190. Nice, friendly and reliable.”
Nancy C. Google review · Fixed the same day

Read every review, word for word, with links to where it was posted.

Questions

Emergency electrician questions

Does someone really answer at night?

Yes. Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, our office answers. Nights, weekends and holidays, our answering service takes the call and puts it through to the on-call electrician, who calls you back.

How much is an after-hours call?

A flat $365 to send an electrician nights, weekends and holidays, confirmed with you on the phone before anyone is dispatched. The repair is priced separately, and you get that price before the work starts. During business hours there’s no emergency fee.

Should I call the power company or an electrician?

If your neighbors are out too, or a line is down, it’s the power company. If it’s only your house, or the problem is inside it (a breaker, an outlet, the panel, the meter base on your wall), it’s us. Not sure? Call us and we’ll tell you which.

Can it wait until morning?

If nothing is hot, burning, sparking or wet, and you can live without the circuit overnight, it usually can, and waiting saves the after-hours fee. Call anyway and ask: the on-call electrician will tell you straight.

Is it safe to keep resetting a breaker?

Once is fine. If it trips again right away, leave it off: something on that circuit is drawing too much or shorting, and the breaker is doing its job. Never tape or hold a breaker on, and never put in a bigger one.

Do you handle commercial emergencies?

Yes. The 24/7 line is open to any business, and existing commercial customers get priority.

Still smell burning? Cut the power, then call.

We’ll tell you who’s coming and what it costs before anyone leaves the shop.

(919) 888-3500Tap to call, day or night
  • Answered 24/7, 365 days a year
  • After-hours fee confirmed before dispatch
  • Price for the repair before the work starts

Not an emergency?

Book a free in-home quote for business hours and skip the fee. We reply during office hours; for emergencies, call.

Call (919) 888-3500 Free quote