Hot wire

The DOE handbook calls the ungrounded conductors in a circuit the hot phase conductors. In home wiring the hot wire is often black, and Oncor's service guidelines call for black insulation on phase conductors at the service. Anything connected to a hot wire is energized and can shock.

Touching a hot wire while in contact with ground can cause shock. A switch that is off may not make the wires in a box safe, and one box can hold wires from more than one circuit. Turning off a circuit breaker does not replace testing by a licensed electrician. Compare the neutral.