A tingle from a tap, shower, sink, metal fence or appliance means electricity is reaching something it shouldn't. Even a faint tingle is a warning: the next contact could be much worse, especially with wet skin.
Treat it as urgent. Stop using it, turn off the power if you can do so safely, and ring 0421 772 661.
If anyone has been hurt, call 000 first. Don't touch a person who is still in contact with an electrical source; turn the power off at the main switch first if you can reach it safely. Anyone who has had an electric shock should get medical advice, even if they feel fine.
Stop using the tap, shower or appliance and keep others, especially children, away. Turn off the main switch at the switchboard if you can reach it with dry hands and without standing in water. If the tingle is outdoors, near the meter, or neighbours report it too, also call Ausgrid on 13 13 88: it may be a network fault, such as a problem with the neutral supply.
Taps and pipes are connected to the home's earthing and bonding so that if something goes wrong, the fault current has a safe path and the protection operates. When you feel a tingle, a voltage is present on metal you can touch. That usually means something has broken down in the wiring, an appliance, the earthing, or the supply coming into the property.
This isn't a problem to diagnose yourself. Finding it needs proper testing equipment, and the fix can be anywhere from a faulty appliance to a failed connection on Ausgrid's network.
These steps are about keeping people safe, not finding the fault.
Don't use the tap, shower, bath or appliance where you felt the tingle. Tell everyone in the house.
Switch off at the main switch with dry hands, standing on a dry floor. If you can't do that safely, keep clear and wait for help.
If the tingle came from a plugged-in appliance like a washing machine or kettle, and it's safe, switch off at the wall and unplug it. Don't use it again until tested.
Where, when, wet or dry, and whether lights have been dimming or flickering. These details help find the cause.
If nearby homes notice tingles or odd lights too, call Ausgrid on 13 13 88.
A faulty appliance. Washing machines, dishwashers, hot water systems and older appliances with damaged insulation can make metal parts live. If they are plumbed in, the tingle can travel to the taps.
Earthing or bonding problems. A disconnected or corroded earth, or plumbing changed from metal to plastic during a renovation, can remove the safe path for fault current.
A neutral fault in the supply. If the neutral connection to the property deteriorates, current can find other paths, including water pipes. Signs can include lights going bright and dim. This is serious and may involve Ausgrid.
Damaged wiring. A nail or screw through a cable, water in a fitting, or old insulation breaking down can energise metalwork.
We test the earthing system, bonding to the water pipes, the supply neutral, insulation resistance on each circuit, and the appliances involved. If the fault is on the network side, we tell you and Ausgrid so they can attend.
Make sure every circuit has working safety switch protection; it is one of the best defences against shock. See safety switch installation and, for what to do in other urgent situations, our electrical emergency guide.
Yes. It means voltage is on something people touch. The fault can worsen without warning, and wet skin makes shocks more dangerous. Treat it as urgent.
Get medical advice after any electric shock, even if you feel fine. Call 000 if someone is injured, unconscious, has burns or chest pain.
Some circuits may not be protected by a safety switch, and some faults, like a supply neutral problem, may not trip one. That's why it needs testing.
It can be either. A neutral fault on the service line is Ausgrid's; a fault in your wiring, earthing or appliances is on the property side. Testing tells which.
Not until it has been tested. Even if the appliance seems to be the cause, the earthing should be checked.
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