Most electrical issues can wait for a normal appointment. A burning smell from a socket is not one of them. It almost always means active overheating inside the socket, the cable, or both. Left alone, it can ignite the wall cavity within hours.
Here's what to actually do — and a few common reactions that make it worse.
Step 1: Turn It Off at the Consumer Unit — Immediately
Find your consumer unit (usually under the stairs, in a hall cupboard, or in the kitchen). Identify which breaker controls the affected room — most modern boards are labelled. Switch that breaker off. If you're not sure which one, switch off the main switch (RCD or DP isolator) at the top to kill power to the whole house.
Do this before doing anything else. Cool heads in this order: power off, then assess. Not the other way round.
Step 2: DO NOT Try to Pull the Plug Out Until Power's Off
A surprising number of people grab the plug to yank it out before turning the power off. If the socket is overheating, the plug pins are extremely hot — you'll burn yourself. Worse, if there's any arcing inside, removing the plug while live can cause a flash that ignites whatever's smouldering.
Power off at the consumer unit first. Then it's safe to unplug whatever was in the socket.
Step 3: DO NOT Just Move the Appliance to a Different Socket
Common temptation: "the socket is broken, I'll just plug the appliance in somewhere else." Don't. The smell could be coming from the appliance itself rather than the socket. If you plug it into a different socket, you might cook the next one too. Wait until the cause is identified.
Common Causes
In rough order of how often I see them:
Loose connection — the screws inside the socket holding the wires have worked loose over time, creating arcing and heat. Common in 20+ year old sockets that have never been retightened.
Overloaded socket — running a 3kW heater plus a kettle plus a hairdryer through a single multi-way extension lead is asking for trouble. The socket itself is rated 13A; sustained loads above that melt the brass contacts.
Water ingress — kitchen sockets near the kettle are the classic. Moisture builds up over years, eventually causes a tracking fault.
Faulty appliance plug — sometimes it's not the socket, it's the plug on the device. A poor-quality plug or one that's been damaged can create a hot spot at the pins.
Aluminium wiring — very rare in UK domestic but if you're in a property built in the late 60s/early 70s with original wiring, it's possible. Aluminium expands and loosens over time. If you've got it, the whole house probably needs rewiring.
Call an Electrician — Same Day If Possible
Once power is off, call an electrician. Don't wait for "next available" — this is one of the few things that genuinely needs same-day attention. I cover emergency call-outs across Pinner, Hemel Hempstead, Harrow, Watford and the surrounding area, typically within the hour during working hours.
When I arrive I'll: visually inspect the socket and surrounding area for any spread, test the wiring back to the consumer unit, replace the damaged socket and any compromised cable, and check the rest of the same circuit for similar issues. The repair itself usually takes an hour. Same-day emergency call-out is £110 + materials.
Preventing It Happening Again
A periodic EICR (every 5 years for a rented property, every 10 for an owner-occupied home) catches loose connections and overheating before they become emergencies. The infrared section of a thorough EICR specifically looks for hot spots that haven't yet caused visible damage.
If your house hasn't had an EICR in 10+ years, it's worth getting one done. From £80 for a 1-bed flat. Call 07405 629 940.