Half or all of my apartment has no power

When some or all of your lights and outlets stop working, where the power is out tells an electrician a lot about the cause.

Start by checking whether your neighbors or the rest of the building still have power. If the whole block is dark, it is a Con Edison outage; check Con Edison's outage map or call them. If it is only your home, the causes below are the most likely.

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Describe what you're seeing. NGM's assistant explains likely causes, typical prices and next steps, and can set up a callback from an electrician.

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Burning smell, smoke, sparks, heat or buzzing? Call us right away. If there is smoke or fire, call 911 first.

Part of the home is out

Half the apartment has no power

When some rooms or outlets work and others do not, the cause is usually one of these:

A tripped circuit breaker
A blown fuse, in older fuse boxes
A damaged feeder wire, where one of the two supply legs to your panel has failed

Check your panel for a breaker that is off or sitting in the middle position. You can reset a tripped breaker once: switch it fully off, then back on. If it trips again, leave it off and call an electrician, because something on that circuit is faulty.

The whole home is out

The whole apartment has no power

If nothing in your home works but your neighbors have power, there are three likely causes:

A damaged feeder wire between the meter and your panel
A tripped main breaker
Con Edison has disconnected the service, for example over an account or billing issue

Check your main breaker, and check your Con Edison account. If the main breaker will not stay on, or the account is in good standing, the feeder or meter connection needs an electrician.

When to call right away

Signs of danger

A breaker that trips again right away, a burning smell near the panel, a hot or buzzing panel, or scorch marks mean you should stop resetting and call.

If there is any sign of danger, such as a burning smell, smoke, sparks, heat, buzzing, scorch marks or damaged wires, call NGM Electric right away at (718) 304-5045. If there is smoke or fire, leave and call 911 first.

What it costs

Pricing

Outages are a standard service call: $295 for the first hour of diagnosis or repair and $110 for each additional hour. Emergency service is $450 for the first hour.

If a feeder or the panel itself needs replacing, we quote that work upfront and handle the permit and any Con Edison coordination. See panel replacement.

FAQ

Common questions

Why is only half of my apartment without power?

The most common causes are a tripped breaker, a blown fuse, or a damaged feeder wire that has cut one of the two supply legs to your panel.

Why does my whole apartment have no power when my neighbors do?

Usually a damaged feeder wire, a tripped main breaker, or a Con Edison disconnection, for example over an account issue. Check the main breaker and your Con Edison account first.

How many times can I reset a breaker?

Once. If a breaker trips again after you reset it, leave it off and call a licensed electrician, because something on that circuit is faulty.

How much does an electrician cost for a power outage?

NGM Electric service calls are $295 for the first hour and $110 for each additional hour. Emergency service is $450 for the first hour.

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Still not sure what's wrong?

Ask our assistant any time, or call a licensed NGM electrician. NYC DOB Licensed Electrical Firm #4876, serving Brooklyn and Manhattan since 2011.

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