Help! My power has gone out. Do I need to call an electrician?

Before you call an electrician, here is a step by step guide to follow which could save you the cost of calling out an electrician for a faulty appliance.

First, locate your switchboard or fuse board, quite commonly located in a garage, closet, hallway or laundry.

Check the switchboard and identify whether it has MCB’s (miniature circuit breakers) or fuses. If you have a fuse board, you may need to contact an electrician as the fuse actually breaks. If the board has MCB’s, check if these have been switched from the ON to the OFF position.

If an MCB has switched to the OFF position, identify which area of your home has lost power or lights and either unplug any appliance or switch off any light that has lost power.

Return to the switchboard and switch ON the circuit breaker that has been switched OFF. If the circuit breaker switches OFF again, call an electrician.

If the circuit breaker remains ON, begin to plug the appliances back in or switch the lights on one by one.

If the circuit breaker switches down when you turn the light or appliance on, that appliance or light is faulty.