London Heroes — home

Emergency mode

First, make it safe. Then we’ll get you help.

Take 60 seconds on the safety steps below — they prevent most of the damage. Then send an urgent request: we take them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and dispatch the nearest available verified Hero. Response times depend on availability, location and job type.

Request urgent helpGet your free Emergency Card
A verified tradesperson with an ID lanyard and tool bag arriving at a warmly lit front door on a London terraced street at dusk, their van parked at the kerb

Before anyone arrives

Smell gas?

  1. 1Don't touch light switches, sockets or anything electrical
  2. 2Open doors and windows
  3. 3Leave the property
  4. 4Call the National Gas Emergency line FREE on 0800 111 999 — before anything else

Water you can't stop?

  1. 1Turn off the stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink or near the front door)
  2. 2Turn off the boiler / water heating
  3. 3Open cold taps to drain the system faster
  4. 4Move valuables away and catch what you can

Electrical fault, sparks or burning smell?

  1. 1Switch off the affected circuit at the consumer unit (fuse box)
  2. 2Don't touch anything that's wet, scorched or buzzing
  3. 3Unplug appliances on that circuit if safe to reach
  4. 4If anything is smoking or alight: get out and call 999 first

Sewage backing up?

  1. 1Stop using ALL water — taps, toilets, washing machine
  2. 2Keep children and pets away from affected areas
  3. 3Don't lift external manhole covers
  4. 4Photograph the situation for your records

What counts as an emergency?

  • Water escaping that you can't stop
  • No heating in cold weather with vulnerable people at home
  • Electrical faults with burning smells or scorching
  • Sewage backing up into the property
  • A roof letting rain in
  • A property that can't be secured after damage

Not on the list but worried? Send the request anyway — we triage honestly and will tell you if it can safely wait.

How we handle urgent requests

  1. 1Your request goes to the top of the review queue
  2. 2We check verified Hero availability in your area for the trade you need
  3. 3We tell you honestly what we can do and when — no invented promises
  4. 4If we can't help fast enough, we say so immediately, so you can act

Availability varies by area and time — we'll always tell you honestly what we can do.

Emergency services

Not dangerous, but not working?

Once it’s safe, these walk through the likely causes, what you can check yourself, and what to leave alone — so you know what you’re asking for before anyone comes out.

The Household Emergency Card

Where’s your stopcock? Your fuse box? Your gas meter? Record them once, before the emergency. Free, printable, saved on your device — every London household should have one.

Create yours — free

Emergency questions

What counts as a home emergency?
Anything that risks damage or safety if it waits: water you can't stop, no heating in cold weather with vulnerable people at home, burning smells from sockets, sewage backing up, or a roof letting rain in. If in doubt, tell us — we'll triage honestly.
What should I do before help arrives?
For water: turn off the stopcock. For electrics: switch off the affected circuit at the consumer unit and don't touch anything wet. If you smell gas: don't operate switches, open windows, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999 first — before anything else.
How fast can someone come?
Response times depend on availability, location and job type. We will never promise a response time we can't meet — when you submit an urgent request we tell you honestly what we can do.

Not an emergency after all? Browse all services and book at a time that suits you.

Request urgent help