Emergency
Emergency electrician in Redding, CA
Burning smell, sparking outlet, a breaker that won't reset, or no power at all — get matched with an available local electrician now.
If you smell burning, see sparking, or have a breaker that won't reset, call an emergency electrician immediately — as of September 2026, emergency electrical service in Redding, CA typically runs $150–$200/hour plus a trip fee.
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Is this an electrical emergency?
- 1
Burning smell or visible smoke
Turn off the affected breaker if it’s safe to reach, call 911 if there’s an active fire, then call an emergency electrician immediately — this is never a wait-and-see situation.
- 2
Sparking outlet or panel
Don’t touch it. Shut off the breaker for that circuit (or the main breaker if you’re unsure which one) and call an emergency electrician right away.
- 3
Partial power loss in your home
Check your breaker panel first for a tripped breaker — if resetting it once doesn’t hold, or you smell anything unusual, stop and call rather than keep resetting it.
- 4
Total power loss
Check whether neighbors are also without power — if so, it’s likely a utility outage (or a PSPS event, see below), not something an electrician can fix. If it’s isolated to your home, it’s worth an emergency call.
Emergency vs. standard pricing
| Rate | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency / after-hours hourly rate | $150–$200/hr | Plus a trip or service-call fee, typically $40–$200 |
| Standard business-hours rate (for comparison) | $50–$130/hr | See our full repair cost guide for standard job pricing |
PSPS & power outage preparedness
During high-wind or extreme fire-weather conditions, PG&E may initiate a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) — a deliberate, planned outage across its service territory to reduce wildfire ignition risk. This is different from an electrical fault in your home, and an electrician can't turn a PSPS outage back on — only the utility can.
Important local distinction: properties inside Redding city limits are generally served by REU (Redding Electric Utility), the city's own municipal utility — not PG&E. PG&E's PSPS program applies to its own service territory in the surrounding Shasta County catchment, not necessarily inside city limits. Check your utility bill if you're unsure which one serves your address.
To tell the difference and prepare:
- Check whether neighbors on your utility are also without power — a PSPS or general utility outage affects a whole area, not just one house.
- Sign up for outage/PSPS alerts directly with your utility (REU or PG&E, whichever serves your address) so you get advance notice when possible.
- If you rely on medical equipment or well water, consider a backup power option (generator or battery) — an electrician can advise on a safe backup-power setup, including a properly installed transfer switch.
- If power is out sitewide during high wind or fire-weather season, it's more likely a utility/PSPS event than something an electrician can fix on the spot.
See our full PSPS & power outage preparedness guide for a complete checklist, including how to set up backup power safely. If your breaker keeps tripping rather than a sitewide outage, see our circuit breaker guide instead.
Common questions
How much does an emergency electrician cost in Redding, CA? +
Emergency and after-hours electrical service typically runs $150–$200/hour plus a trip or service-call fee, compared to $50–$130/hour for standard business-hours work.
What is a PSPS, and is it the same as my power just going out? +
A PSPS (Public Safety Power Shutoff) is a deliberate utility shutoff during high-wind or extreme fire-weather conditions to reduce wildfire risk — it’s a planned, utility-initiated event, not an electrical fault in your home. See the section below for how to tell the difference and how to prepare.
Does REU or PG&E serve my home in Redding? +
It depends on your specific address — properties inside Redding city limits are generally served by REU (Redding Electric Utility), the city’s own municipal utility, while the surrounding Shasta County catchment is generally served by PG&E. PG&E’s PSPS program applies to its own service territory, not REU’s — check your utility bill if you’re not sure which serves you.
My breaker keeps tripping but it’s not a full emergency — what should I do? +
Unplug what’s on that circuit and don’t keep resetting it repeatedly — a breaker that trips repeatedly under normal use is protecting you from an overloaded circuit or a wiring fault and should be looked at, though it usually doesn’t need an after-hours emergency call unless it’s accompanied by a burning smell or sparking.
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